The Queen and The Knight
by ObsidianDawn
Summary: Kallen never thought that her visit to Ashford Academy would re-open wounds she had believed long since healed, or that she would turn to her greatest rival for comfort. Can two lost souls find salvation in each other? Kallen/Suzaku. Post Zero Requiem.
1. Continuously Crossing Paths

**Chapter One: Continuously Crossing Paths**

* * *

><p>Everyone else had long since left Ashford Academy behind, departing on their various paths to home. Only she remained. Sitting on the roof of the school, both knees drawn up to her chest, Kallen Kozuki stared up at the night sky. She wished she could see the stars high above the Tokyo settlement, but the illumination from the city lights denied her such pleasure. Since the heavens couldn't reach her, Kallen lit up the sky on her own.<p>

Few fireworks remained from the student council's private show that afternoon, and Kallen still had no idea who had launched them in the first place. It seemed that whoever it was, intentionally or not, had left some behind for her. Reaching over, she held the struck match to the fuse until it caught, before leaning back to enjoy the result.

The explosion high above her drowned out the sound of distant construction, as men continued to rebuild the areas within Tokyo that had been destroyed in the war. Kallen hoped that some of them at least stopped to appreciate the blossoming light.

It had required all of her courage to take Milly up on her offer to have a reunion of the Student Council, and Kallen had almost stayed home even after agreeing to show up. She hadn't buried the past, as the pictures tacked up in her room reminded her, but she kept it at arm's length. It was the only way she could deal with the harsh reality of it.

The world was without a doubt a better place. Sick of war and hate, every nation on the planet had been striving to rebuild, to push forward toward a brighter future. Even Kallen had found she was happier than she had been in a long time. Because of that, she hadn't wanted to deal with the reminder that it had come at a great cost, especially to her.

Lowering her gaze, the young woman stared across the grounds, her thoughts drifting. It had been good to see everyone again, and simply speaking with them had brought back memories she couldn't believe she had tucked away; the silver lining to the storm that was the war.

Kallen was so absorbed in her reverie that she did not at first notice she was no longer alone atop the school, her visitor careful not to disturb the relative quiet of the empty campus. It wasn't until she heard the telltale swish of moving cloth, the sound so familiar that she recognized it in an instant. As often as she'd seen the flourish of a starched cape that accompanied it, it had become ingrained in her.

She glanced back as Zero approached her, a dark silhouette against the lights of Tokyo, and closed her eyes. She couldn't keep the small, sad smile from her lips, distantly aware that she had thought of _him_ more today than she had the entire year prior. The ache in her chest remained, even now, and having to see that familiar mask had been the main reason she didn't want to come to this impromptu reunion. It was too late to go back now, however, so she bore the pain as best she could.

"I expected you to leave with the Empress." Kallen said quietly, wrapping both arms round her knees.

Zero said nothing, and came to a halt several paces behind her. A companionable silence fell between them, as Kallen stared off into the distance. She hadn't wanted to see him, and for months she hated even the idea that she might one day have to cross paths with him again. However her anger and sadness had faded over time, carefully reeled in and stowed away to embrace the gift of the future.

"I wasn't going to come back here." She said after several minutes, her voice carried to him by a gentle breeze. "I only did it because… he made me promise. When this was all over he wanted me to come back here with him, to see everyone once more."

The young woman stood slowly, leaning on the railing the lined the roof of the school. After another long moment of silence, Zero moved to join her, standing fully erect, close enough that the edge of his cape brushed against her bare leg. Kallen glanced sideways at him, sighing quietly, before turning her attention back to the grounds ahead of them.

"You don't have his brilliance and flair, but you've done well so far." She noted, smiling softly. "Theatrics and strategy never were your strong suit, were they Suzaku?"

That notorious mask swiveled quickly, and Kallen didn't need to see his face to picture the look of shock and resignation. She could recall it from memory easily enough. Suzaku slipped one hand slowly to the back of the helmet, casually removing his new face and staring into the reflective visor.

"How long?" Suzaku asked, his gaze sliding toward her.

"Since the moment you appeared in front of the procession. I'd say we've fought enough for me to recognize the way you move."

"I suppose you're right." He replied with a small smile, setting the mask of Zero on the ledge in front of him.

"I'll never tell anyone." She added quickly. "Not even Gino. Lelouch left his legacy in your hands... and I won't betray his wishes."

"Thank you..."

They fell into another comfortable silence, as Kallen debated where to go from here. She'd never expected she would reveal her knowledge to him, especially with the animosity she'd held for him in the past. They were no longer enemies, but were they ever even friends? It seemed that, like tonight, the only time they hadn't been on opposing sides had been at Ashford.

"The future." Kallen said, turning her gaze toward the brown haired knight. "That was his gift to us, to the world, wasn't it?"

Suzaku nodded solemnly, and Kallen bit her lip. She'd done her best not to think of Lelouch since that fateful day when she'd realized what his agenda truly was. She hadn't ever hated him, even when the entire world had despised his existence. He was despicable and manipulative, but it had all been a lie. His careful deception had been designed from the start to push society forward into the next stage, and guarantee the kind of peace he could never have achieved in life. He'd lied to the entire world, friends and strangers alike, sacrificing his happiness to ensure that those who hated him could enjoy their own.

"I would have followed him to the end… if only he had asked me to." She whispered, closing her eyes and sucking in a shallow breath.

"That's why he never did." Suzaku replied casually, leaning forward.

"It was selfish! It didn't matter to him at all how I felt; how _anyone_ else felt!" She snapped, before taking control of her emotions.

Kallen knew she was treading a thin line. The feeling of betrayal and loss had never left her heart, but she had spent the past year stowing it deep inside, refusing to dwell on something she couldn't have changed. It didn't make it hurt any less, but at least it had kept the despair from overcoming her. Speaking so openly about it for the first time was dangerous, as she slowly let down the walls she had built to contain the heartache.

"Before the invasion of Japan, when Lelouch and I were young, he taught me to play chess. I never came close to beating him, but I also learned something about him that nobody else did."

"If the King doesn't lead, how can he expect his subordinates to follow?" Kallen replied with a sharp, sarcastic laugh, recalling from memory the exact phrase Lelouch had used in the past.

"No." Suzaku said seriously, shaking his head. "I learned that, no matter what, Lelouch never sacrifices his Queen."

Kallen's gaze shot over to him, her breath catching in her throat. She stared at Suzaku, feeling those walled in emotions pressing outward, and barely suppressed the tears that fought to be released.

"What… what are you talking about?"

"Isn't that what you were, Q1?" Suzaku asked, calmly picking up his mask and walking away.

His words were a devastating blow, though they weren't intended to cripple her. Kallen felt her carefully constructed barriers, already weakened by a day of reminiscence, crumble and fall away. The torrent that was released, washing over her and sucking the air from her lungs, threatened to bring her to her knees under the pressure.

The tears came then, and Kallen shook her head, denying the tightness in her chest and the burning in her eyes. Anger swelled with the grief, and before she could stop herself she was charging at the departing man. Suzaku turned as he heard her approach, frowning in concern a moment before she crashed into him, the impact forcing him to step back to keep from toppling over.

"Why?" She cried in anguish, pounding her fists against his chest. "Why did he have to die for us to live?"

Suzaku froze with the mask tucked beneath his arm, unsure what he was supposed to do. He hadn't expected her to explode, given how calm and rational she had been moments before. More than that, he would have never thought that she would have turned to him for comfort, even if he was the only one around to direct her grief and pain at. Kallen buried her fact in his chest, the impact of her fists against him feeble and defiant, with no real force behind them.

"I should hate you." She said, her voice twisted in confusion and ache. "I should despise you for what you did. I _want_ to hate you, but I can't… because I know it was what he wanted… what he planned all along."

Something he'd said had brought back pain that had been buried for almost a year, and Suzaku felt a pang of guilt. He'd meant to assure her that she hadn't been cast away, not hurt her.

"Even when everyone else turned on him… I remained by his side. I was willing to take on the entire world for him. I would have _died_ for him…"

"Kallen…" Suzaku said softly, as the girl placed her palms on his chest, sobbing and trembling.

"There had to be another way." She said between gasps. "You… killed him… and the entire world cheered. They _cheered_, and nobody will ever know what he really did for them."

"That's not true." Suzaku replied, hugging the girl to him to try and console her, the mask falling to clatter onto the roof. "We know, and that's enough."

Kallen collapsed against him, her legs giving out, and slowly Suzaku lowered her. He took a knee, uncertain how to act. In all the time he had known the girl, as both her enemy and friend, he'd never seen her so lost in despair. He silently added it to the list of Lelouch's sins, and was surprised to realize that this particular instance bothered him more than most of them.

The girl continued sobbing quietly against him, as Suzaku propped her up, and it took several minutes before her body finally stopped trembling. The former Knight of Zero waited patiently, expecting Kallen to push him away and regain her composure at any moment. He squeezed her shoulders gently and realized that she'd passed out in her grief and exhaustion, both arms still wrapped tightly around his waist.

Kallen wasn't aware of the strong, gentle hands that scooped her up, her weary slumber a defense against the pain. Even unconscious, however, she clung tightly to the mask that Suzaku had placed on her stomach, like a child with a stuffed toy, as he carried her downstairs and away from Ashford Academy.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> My first Code Geass ficlet, and it was done on a whim. I've been playing around with an idea that follows Marianne, sometime before the events of the series, but if I decide to do it I'm going to have to spend a lot of time sorting out the timeline and plot points to make it match up with canon events. I'd really love to do it, but in the meantime I found I needed something to do, and so I sat down and wrote this out in about three hours, since it kept jumping into my head. It's pretty lacking in the polish department, but it was going to drive me nuts if I didn't get this out of my head.

Okay, so I think I might have portrayed Kallen a_ little_ out of character, but I can't say quite for sure. She's strong and usually in control of herself, but given how completely devoted she was to Lelouch, I didn't believe it was that far of a stretch for her to have a small breakdown when finally confronting the gravity of Zero Requiem and her love for him. Especially after Suzaku forces her to see that Lelouch did really care for her, enough to keep her from being destroyed in his plan to become a hated martyr. I expect she would have a soft spot for the name Q1. I'll leave that up to anyone who reads this to decide.

I honestly don't know if I'll actually continue this to become a full fledged story or not, and I do have ideas for more of it, but if so it's likely to become a pairing between Suzaku and Kallen, which I never thought would be too far-fetched. They share similar qualities, and I often wished that at least _once_ they could have been on the same side for a bit. The amount of badass that would be demonstrated would put all of the Knights of the Round to shame.

So I'd love any thoughts on it, and R/R is appreciated.


	2. Zero's Accomplice

**Chapter Two: Zero's Accomplice  
><strong>

* * *

><p>Kallen sat up in the dark room, her eyes puffy and sore and her muscles aching. She frowned, unsure for a moment where she was or how she got there. Something was familiar about the bedroom she had slept in, but she couldn't seem to place it. The girl shifted, her gaze snapping down as cool metal brushed against her arm. When she saw the mask on the mattress next to her, everything clicked.<p>

She blushed in the dim room, embarrassed by how she had acted the night before, and recalling how Suzaku had responded. Turning, Kallen planted both feet on the plush carpet floor, and rose slowly, making her way to the switch next to the closed door. Upon lighting the room, Kallen instantly realized where she was, and couldn't help the small gasp of surprise that slipped out.

"It's still here?"

What was once the Black Knight's mobile headquarters apparently hadn't been destroyed after their departure from Japan almost two years ago, and Kallen felt a small smile touch her lips. She knew she had recognized this room, even in darkness, and even after all this time. This had been Zero's room, the only real bed in the entire trailer, and where he had spent much of his time. It looked the same now as it did when last she had been in it, aside from missing the man that made it memorable.

Sighing, Kallen glanced down at her wrinkled school uniform. She vaguely recalled being jolted in her daze the night before, and wondered how far Suzaku had carried her to reach the trailer. How could she have let her guard down so completely? It was embarrassing. The woman slowly paced the room, dragging her fingertips across every surface of it as memories of the Black Knight's early days drifted lazily through her mind.

This place had been a second home to her during the Black Rebellion, and she probably had fallen asleep on one of the sofas downstairs more than she had in her own bed throughout those months. Kallen hadn't thought of herself as a woman inclined to nostalgia, but it was nearly impossible to deny the smile that remained as she walked around what was once Lelouch's room.

Reaching the slightly open closet tucked against one corner, she curiously opened it. It appeared as neat and ordered as Lelouch would have kept it. Each article of clothing had been hung carefully, including two more of the dark uniforms that identified Suzaku as Zero. Kallen began to swing the door shut, when a familiar piece of red cloth, folded neatly and tucked into a shelf, caught her eyes.

She pulled the uniform out, unfurling it to reveal a jumpsuit she didn't believe she would ever see again. After the war was finally over, Kallen had thrown her piloting suit out, as the various tears and cosmetic damage from her final battle, ironically against Suzaku, had rendered it a lost cause. Holding what had been her second skin by the shoulders, she quickly looked the jumpsuit over, before glancing once more at her crumbled school clothes.

Folding the jumpsuit over one arm, Kallen made her way to small attached bathroom, snatching a plush towel off the rack against the wall. A shower would do wonders for the knots in her shoulders, and she definitely wanted to get out of her stale school clothes. At least she knew her old uniform would fit her. Peeling her wrinkled clothes off and removing the broken rabbit's foot key from her neck, Kallen slipped under the stream in the standing room only shower.

The hot water felt glorious as it rolled down her body, dispelling some of the aches that had accompanied her fretful sleep and prior breakdown. She tried not to think of how she had lost control of her emotions, ashamed to have allowed such feelings to rise so easily to the surface. She hadn't been prepared for so much stimulation from her past, but she was much more rational now. Shaking droplets of warm liquid from her hair, Kallen turned off the stream, stepping out onto the tile floor.

She dried quickly, snatching up her scarlet jumpsuit and striding out into the bedroom once more. That uniform was tossed onto the bed, sprawling across the sheet as she began to dry her hair, staring down at the mask of Zero. It was a strange sensation, staring at the false face she had come to know so well. Small nicks and scratches marred the surface of the helmet, and she could still recall when Lelouch had acquired most of them.

Kallen was so deep in thought, her gaze crawling over the imperfect reflected visage of the black visor, that the door of the bedroom suddenly swinging inward startled her. Suzaku strode casually into the room, Zero's familiar cape flourishing behind him, and stuttered to a stop immediately. For a long moment the two teens stared at each other across the small room, shocked resignation flooding into their features in the same instant.

"Kallen! I'm sorry, I didn't realize…"

"What are you doing just barging in here?" She shouted, quickly covering her body with the towel and shuffling toward the bed.

"I needed my mask and I didn't know you had-" Suzaku explained, stumbling over his words.

"Then take it and get out!" Kallen cried, hurling the helmet at his chest hard enough to make the brown haired boy stumble.

Suzaku quickly retreated from the room, shoving the door shut and making his way down the stairs to the lower level before Kallen could get her hands on something else to throw at him. The girl let out her held breath, glaring at the closed door before pulling the uniform off of the mattress.

"Idiot…"

A few minutes later, dressed in her old crimson jumpsuit and no longer flustered by Suzaku's lack of tact, Kallen made her way down the stairs. She fully intended to give the boy a piece of her mind, but halted upon hearing a familiar voice drifting to her from the front of the trailer.

"I understand that Zero, but are you sure you can handle it on your own? From the reports you sent us, they seem much more organized than the other insurgent groups in Japan."

Kallen glanced around the corner, and immediately noticed the changes Suzaku had made to the trailer. The entire rear of the headquarters had been altered, with a recently constructed wall shortening the long room by a fair amount. Kallen distantly wondered if the trailer had been damaged, and couldn't help but miss the familiar common area that had been where the wall began. The bank of monitors that had lined it had also been removed, as there was no need for so many when only one man inhabited the base. A video display was mounted at the front of the room, next to the door of the cockpit. Suzaku sat opposite of it, his body language a passable imitation of the man he had replaced, as he remained engaged in his video call.

"I'll be fine, Tohdoh. I'll have backup here if the need should arise. You're needed in Kyoto."

"Understood."

Suzaku broke the connection, sitting back in the armchair and removing Zero's visage. Kallen watched him for a long moment, as he quickly typed several commands into the display. She was curious what the remnants of the Black Knights were dealing with, but didn't want to pry. Though the world was enjoying a state of relative peace, there were always internal conflicts that required the attention of those with authority. Nearly all of that authority had fallen upon Zero, almost all of the weight of the world resting on Suzaku's shoulders. Despite how much better the world had become, some still rebelled against the change, or sought to take advantage of the growing tolerance and complacency.

"Where are we?" Kallen asked as the boy swiveled his chair to face her.

"Just inside the Shinjuku Reclamation Area."

"The construction site?"

"Yes," He replied with a nod. "Look, Kallen, about what happened… upstairs."

"Just drop it." She said, rolling her eyes and collapsing onto the only remaining sofa in the trailer.

"As you wish."

"I can't believe this thing is still in one piece." Kallen mused, absently stroking the material of the sofa.

"Before leaving Japan Lelouch had stored it, in case he should need it again someday. I changed it into my mobile command center for my frequent trips to Tokyo."

"You'll find none better." Kallen replied with a rueful smile.

"I would have dropped you off at home, after Ashford…" Suzaku began, glancing at the floor. "But I didn't know where you lived."

"It's fine." Kallen replied, blushing at the reminder of her breakdown.

"I can take you back now, if you want me to. I have a few things to take care of, but I can put some of my plans off for the time being."

"No rush. It's not like I have class today or anything." Kallen shrugged, leaning back against the sofa and closing her eyes.

Silence fell over the trailer, as Kallen simply relaxed on the familiar seat, her thoughts wandering to nowhere in particular. Even with her eyes closed, she knew Suzaku was still looking at her. She could feel his gaze on her, and after a few minutes it began to annoy her.

"What is it?" She asked, sighing.

"Huh?" Suzaku replied, flustered. "Oh, nothing. I was just thinking I hadn't seen you wear that since…"

"Since the last time we met, on different sides of the same battle?"

"Yes…"

"Hopefully you learned your lesson for going against me."

Suzaku chuckled lightly, and Kallen opened one lid to glance over at him. The former Knight of Zero sat back in his chair, leaning on one of the armrests and rubbing his chin absently.

"We never really got along, and always ended up on the opposite side, except that time on Kamine Island."

"You mean when I tried to stab you?"

"Oh, yeah." Suzaku said with a small laugh, a light flush of color slipping into his cheeks as they both recalled _that_ incident.

A chirping tone interrupted their conversation, and Suzaku quickly rotated his chair back to the display. He typed in a couple of commands before snatching Zero's mask from his lap, glancing over his shoulder at Kallen.

"I have to take this call; you're welcome to stay for it."

"As if I would leave even if you asked me to."

Suzaku shook his head, slipping his false visage on as the screen in front of him came to life. Kallen immediately shot up in her seat, uncommonly bright smile lighting up her features, as she saw who his call was from. Kaname Ohgi sat in his office, glancing at a folder in front of him before he turned his gaze up to the video call.

"Zero, we're ready to dispatch the-" He began, only to halt mid sentence. "Kallen?"

The girl was on her feet in an instant, leaning on the back of Suzaku's chair to smile at the man who might have been her oldest friend. She hadn't seen him since his wedding, and with the constraints of his position as Prime Minister of Japan, it wasn't as though he could make much time for old friends.

"Ohgi! It's good to see you!"

"Same here, but Kallen, what are you doing with Zero?" He asked, perplexed.

That was a good question. What was she doing with Zero? She couldn't tell him what had really happened, because it would raise too many questions. Zero wasn't the personal bodyguard of the Empress, so why would he have come along to Ashford to visit old classmates? It may have gotten past the members of the Student Council, but Ohgi would no doubt wonder what business he would have there.

"I'm, uh," She began, her mind quickly searching for an excuse. "I'm assisting Zero with the operation."

Ohgi sat back, momentarily surprised, as Kallen bit her lip. She'd left her old life behind, and of course Kaname knew this, so saying she was helping the new Zero with what was probably a military operation was likely as bad an idea as telling him the truth. It took the man a moment, but he finally shrugged, smiling at her through the monitor.

"I see. I'm happy to see you're doing well Kallen."

"Did you say Kallen?" A second voice yelled from off screen, and Ohgi had just enough time to bury his face in one hand before Tamaki burst into view, shoving the Prime Minister aside.

"Kallen! I haven't seen you in ages! Are you working with Zero again?"

Out of all the former Black Knights, Tamaki was the only one who treated Suzaku as though he was the original Zero. He knew that it wasn't really the same man that had led them in the Black Rebellion, of course, but he never questioned the man's orders. He saw Zero as an idea, a formless shape of justice that the rest of them never quite could. In that way, he was much wiser than his comrades.

"Yes," Kallen replied, glancing down at Suzaku. "For this particular mission."

"Great! With the two of you together, there's no way you can fail!" Tamaki cried with a grin, before he was shoved out of view roughly.

"Zero," Ohgi said, obviously flustered. "The police are standing by now. Whenever you're ready, we'll begin the operation."

"Thank you, Prime Minister. Tell them to make the preparations now for my arrival."

"Very well."

The display went dark again, and Suzaku slowly turned toward her, removing his mask. Concern furrowed his brow, as he locked his gaze onto Kallen's.

"Did you mean what you just told them?" He inquired, frowning.

Kallen asked herself the same question. She'd left that life behind long ago, though she had to admit the thrill of potential combat was dancing in her stomach. It couldn't hurt to help Suzaku out with this one little thing, could it? Especially if it was for Ohgi.

"Yes." She said firmly, nodding. "Since I'm here, I may as well help out."

"Are you sure? Won't your mother be worried?"

"It's the weekend. I'll just call her and tell her I'm staying with a friend. It's not too big of a lie."

"If that's what you really want."

"Stop being so gloomy," She replied, rolling her eyes. "I liked you better when you were just a headstrong idiot. Well, a bigger idiot. So what's this mission, anyway?"

"I'll explain that on the way, but first we're going to have to familiarize you with your equipment." Suzaku replied, climbing up from his chair and making his way toward the back of the trailer.

"My… equipment?" Kallen asked, falling into step behind him.

Suzaku halted at the recently constructed wall, and pressed a button on one side of it. A door in the center, hardly noticeable even this close, slid up rapidly. The dark section ahead intrigued Kallen, as she followed him inside. What could Kururugi have stowed behind a fake wall? Reaching over, he flipped a switch, illuminating the hidden room and the crouched form that was kept within.

"Isn't that…" Kallen said with a small gasp, glancing back at him after recognizing the now black Knightmare she believed to be destroyed.

"Yes," Suzaku said with a small smile. "The Lancelot."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> You would think by now that Kallen would realize she can never shower in peace.

Well it looks like what was originally going to be a random one-shot will be developing further. With all the little post-ZR ideas in my head, I can't do anything but drive them out and into writing. I couldn't resist running with the Kallen bathing gag, and honestly I was always bothered by Suzaku's lack of a reaction to their confrontation on Kamine Island. Sure, he's a chivalrous and honorable knight, but he's also an insecure, shy teenage boy. It seemed strange to me that he didn't react at _all_ to seeing Kallen as he did, especially with how her impromptu stabby-stab attempt ended up. I tried to show that more here.

I'm not certain what exactly happened to the Black Knight trailer following their exile from Japan, but I can't remember seeing it at all in R2, so I decided to use it and hope I didn't break any canon with it. I did my best to maintain Suzaku and Kallen in character, and to that end I think I succeeded, more so in this than the first chapter. Kallen has such an interesting emotional range, it makes her very fun to write. Especially when paired against the one person in the series who is most like her, in my opinion. They're both incredibly strong-willed and sure of themselves, but at the same time plagued by self-doubt and uncertainty.

Hopefully you enjoyed it.

**Aynessa:** To be honest, I'd never even considered Kallen/Suzaku until the idea for this fic, wherever it came from, popped into my head. It's still not a ship I sail, but I couldn't help but write it out, and see where it went. I'm quite the fan of turning people's opinions of crack pairings around, if that pairing is possible in the first place. As far as ships go, Kallen and Suzu is really not that far-fetched. If the two of them had ever managed to be on the same side of things, they would have realized just how much they had in common, and how well they can compliment each other. So, for a fun experiment, let's see if I can turn people into fans of the pairing!

**ghu:** co za asy?


	3. Lancelost

**Chapter Three: Lancelost**

* * *

><p>"Do you really expect me to read all of this?" Kallen spoke into the comm covering her left ear, leaning back in the open cockpit of the Lancelot and flipping through the Devicer's Manual.<p>

Squirming in the slightly reclined pilot's seat, Kallen decided the Lancelot would take some getting used to. She'd grown accustomed to the Guren's motorcycle style seat, and felt awkward not leaning forward.

The trailer bounced lightly as it traveled through the Shinjuku district. Suzaku hadn't told her where they were going yet, but it felt like they were driving around in circles. The mission was scheduled to take place at sundown, so it would have come as no surprise if the man was purposely wasting time until they could approach their target.

"We've got time before the Knightpolice are in position, and it's not that bad. I've read it myself."

"_You_ read this?" She replied, a smirk touching her lips. "I didn't know that the piloting manuals had been made into picture books."

"Very funny." Suzaku said with a chuckle. "Just skim over the features you're not used to."

"This isn't the same version you used on the Damocles, is it?"

"No, _someone_ destroyed the Albion." Suzaku said with heavy emphasis. "This is the Lancelot used during the Black Rebellion."

"Didn't I blow the arm off of this one?"

"You have a tendency to wreck my Knightmare, yes. I'm surprised you didn't recognize the replacement I used."

Kallen leaned down slightly, casting her gaze upon the Lancelot's refitted right arm. The polished forearm looked as though it had been stripped straight from the Guren, and she decided it likely had been. She could probably just ignore the rest of the Knightmare's armament and rely solely on that arm, if she wanted.

"I didn't think the Radiant Wave Surger would work on anything else."

"It took some finessing, but we managed to retrofit it here, replacing the Sutherland arm that was tacked on."

Kallen closed the cockpit, her seat sliding forward as the Lancelot's controls lit up. She took a moment to compare them to the Guren's, as the Knightmare's Heads Up Display booted up. There were a few differences between her baby and the Lancelot, but she had no doubts she'd get used to them quickly.

"So what exactly am I doing anyway?" She asked, changing some of the control preferences to her liking.

"There's a group of rebels holed up in the Shinjuku reclamation zone. We didn't think much of them until recently, when they started hitting bigger targets outside of Shinjuku."

"Are they… Japanese?"

"Kallen," Suzaku replied, his voice soft as he seemed to read her thoughts. "These men aren't like the Black Knights. They don't care about Japan or her interests, nor do they have any sense of justice or fair play. They've been selling weapons to criminals and wreaking havoc with the very men and women who are _rebuilding_ their country."

"I understand." The girl replied coolly, anger leaping up in her.

She'd heard of the terrorists who had been causing problems in the construction areas, but she had convinced herself they weren't Japanese. Why would these idiots be trying to destroy the progress of their own people? Such selfishness disgusted her.

"The Prime Minister, erm, I mean Ohgi, gathered intelligence that this group has set up shop in a large warehouse. We're almost there now, and the police have created a perimeter around the entire area."

"What am I up against?"

"Probably no more than a handful of Sutherlands, and some small arms fire. It shouldn't be a problem for Zero's former Ace."

"Former?" Kallen asked, rolling her eyes. "Even if I'm retired, _Zero_, I'm still the best pilot you'll ever see."

"You're as humble as ever Kallen." Suzaku said with a laugh. "We're coming up on their hideout now. I'm sending you everything I have on the layout."

Kallen quickly took in the information as the trailer came to a halt, the heavy rear door sliding open. The warehouse was directly in front of her, far enough that any posted sentries wouldn't notice the large trailer. Smiling in anticipation, Kallen forced the machine into a crouch, powering up the Yggdrasil drive.

"Lancelot Naito, ready for launch." Suzaku announced, simultaneously releasing the locks that held the Knightmare in place.

"Right, now launching!"

Exploding from the back of the trailer, Kallen shot toward the warehouse, landspinners squealing against the pavement. Her radar picked up the single enemy unit long before it noticed her, standing guard outside of a heavy overhead door. The lone Sutherland turned as it picked her up on its scope, the man inside not knowing his fate was already sealed.

The Lancelot's forearm slash harken was fired, burying itself into the wall of the structure as the other Knightmare opened fire. Kallen used the cable to slingshot herself forward, closing the distance between the two machines in an instant, before the enemy could even adjust his aim. The heavy right arm clamped down on the Sutherland's head, dragging it in front of the Lancelot as Kallen used it as a makeshift shield.

Under the impact of two Knightmares, the large warehouse door practically exploded inward as the Lancelot burst inside. Casting aside the enemy machine, now mostly crushed from her entrance, Kallen continued forward. A dozen or so men ran for cover, frantically firing behind them as they tried to get away from the rampaging Knightmare.

A quick scan with the dual factspheres housed in the Lancelot's chest revealed the only other enemy armor, the two Sutherlands rocketing into the room and opening up with their rifles. Kallen weaved left and right, not allowing them to keep her suppressed as she closed the distance.

"Idiots. You think you can beat me like that?"

Firing a harken into the roof, Kallen pulled herself into the air, quickly releasing it and descending toward one of the Knightmares. Landing practically on top of it, she snared the frame by its firing arm with that massive right hand, quickly drawing the MVS sword from the back of the Lancelot.

One slash was all it took to cleave the Sutherland in half, the resulting explosion providing cover as she flew toward her second target. The enemy pilot had almost no time to react, extending the baton hidden in his machine's forearm as Kallen buried the vibration sword into its torso. Clamping the Radiant arm over its head, she slammed it against a nearby wall, before activating the weapon.

The second Sutherland bubbled and warped under the outpouring of energy, twisting in on itself before exploding and taking a fair portion of the wall with it. Kallen coasted backward, ignoring the small arms fire she took, to scan the warehouse again.

Few men remained in the large room, and they quickly decided that retreat was the best option, exiting through side doors before she could bring the Lancelot to bear on them. There seemed to be no other Knightmares hidden away, and Kallen discovered she was mildly disappointed. She'd expected a little more resistance than this.

"Zero," She said casually. "I've cleared out all enemy armor, but most of the men escaped into the streets."

"The Knightpolice will take care of them. You did good Kallen."

"Of course I did." She said, scanning the building one last time to be sure it was safe.

"I'll be there in a moment."

Kallen opened the cockpit, descending slowly to the floor below. Clearing the warehouse had been child's play, and she distantly wondered how the Tokyo police could possibly have had trouble with it. Then again, Japan was still in a state of reconstruction, and finding good Knightmare pilots probably wasn't easy.

The girl glanced around the room before walking up to some of the crates that had been placed throughout the warehouse. It was despicable to think that these people were willing to go against their own country, selling their loyalty to criminals and the black market. Suzaku was right; these men were _nothing_ like the Black Knights.

Reaching one of the crates, Kallen slid the lid off, wondering what kind of weapons they had been selling. What she saw set her internal alarms off, causing her to quickly run to the next crate. They were empty, only a few pieces of wood inside a container that should have been loaded with contraband.

"Suzaku," She said into her earpiece, the man's alias dropped. "These crates… there's nothing in them."

"What? That doesn't make sense." He replied quickly. "Kallen, something's wrong. Get out of there. Now."

Kallen was already running back to the Lancelot as he spoke, and only made it a handful of steps before an automatic weapon spat at her, several rounds kicking up concrete a few feet ahead. The girl turned on the spot, as a Knightpolice machine rolled smoothly through the door she had destroyed, a swarm of foot police following alongside the men she had just chased out.

_Corrupt bastards._

"We had hoped to catch Zero in our net." One of the men said as he approached her. "But, I suppose his pilot will have to do for now."

"Kallen," Suzaku spoke into her ear, his voice rushed and tinged with worry and fear. "I'll come for you, I promise. I won't let them-"

His words were cut off as the man slammed the butt of his rifle into Kallen's temple, shattering the earpiece and sending her into a dark oblivion before she even hit the ground.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Can't have a good story without a conflict, right? This chapter is a bit shorter, with less emphasis placed on internal thoughts. I wanted the action to be quick and realistic, so it didn't seem like a slow-mo play by play of a Knightmare battle. I think I made it feel rushed and jerky, which was my goal. Now, with the Lancelot and Kallen in enemy hands, what the hell is Suzaku supposed to do?

**superl8:** I tried to get a whole slew of references into one chapter without making them seemed forced, and I'm glad you liked the result. I realized after that I forgot one cat in particular, but expect to see him before I'm finished with this. I always hated the one scene where he's sitting there, staring at Euphy's grave, and what kind of jerk would Suzaku be if he didn't bring Arthur with him? I was hoping people would like seeing Kallen inside the Lancelot! She just needs to master the Spinzaku attack.

**ziel101:** I honestly didn't think there would be many people who liked a Suzaku/Kallen pairing, and given their constant conflicting views there's not much chance for it in canon. One of my favorite episodes was The Island of the Gods, and the different chemistries between Kallen/Suzaku and Lelouch/Euphy made it memorable. At this point, with the next two chapters already written in my head, I can't _not_ finish this.


	4. Zero Man Army

**Chapter Four: Zero Man Army**

* * *

><p>"Dammit!" Suzaku shouted, forcing the clumsy trailer into a sharp left turn.<p>

Suzaku had to put some distance between him and the warehouse. The Knightpolice would be searching the nearby area to try and find him, and without the Lancelot he was practically defenseless against their armor. Speeding through Shinjuku, he slammed his fist on the dash of the vehicle.

He never should have allowed her to go in there. It should have been him there, captured and at the mercy of those treacherous thugs. Kallen could have stayed in the trailer, guiding him as he cleared the warehouse, but Suzaku had known she wouldn't have liked that. He'd let his guard down, trying to please her by letting her play the role she would have wanted, and he couldn't even say _why_ he wanted her to have her way.

_Because she's the only one who knows…_

A loud tone startled him, and it took Suzaku a moment to realize it was his earpiece announcing an incoming call. He reached up, quickly tapping the side of it and slamming on the brakes of the trailer. Had she gotten away from them somehow?

"Kallen?" Suzaku asked, his voice carefully even.

"No, it's Ohgi. What happened? We lost contact with the police, and couldn't get through again."

"It was a trap." Suzaku said, moving back into the trailer. "They have Kozuki and the Lancelot."

"My God," The man replied, his voice cracking. "What about the Knightpolice?"

"Who do you think ambushed her? Aside from them, who else knew of this operation, Ohgi?"

The man stumbled over his words, obviously flustered by Zero calling him by his name for the first time. No doubt he figured that if Zero was that concerned then things definitely weren't good.

"Nobody except you and Kallen, and Tohdoh. You don't think he would…"

"No, it wasn't Tohdoh. I think this betrayal is coming from corruption in the police."

"What do we do now?"

"I installed a tracking device in the Lancelot." Suzaku said, as he pulled up the scope that maintained the Knightmare's position. "I'm going after her."

"Alone? That's suicide. I'll mobilize my people here, and send them to meet you."

"There's no time. If I don't go now, it might be too late."

"Too late…"

"I'll contact you again when I have her." Suzaku said, yanking the earpiece off and jogging to a nearby cabinet.

The terrorists couldn't use the Lancelot without the activation code, which only he and Kallen knew. Suzaku trusted that the girl was too strong willed to give them any information, but if they somehow got her to talk, the Knightmare was the least of his worries.

Suzaku Kururugi died during the battle for the Damocles Sword, and he hadn't been hailed as a hero. If it came to light that _he_ was actually Zero, everything that he and Nunnally had built would crumble away in an instant. The world would be cast into turmoil, believing he was carrying out the Demon Emperor's wishes from beyond the grave. Nations would turn on each other, and his friend's sacrifice would be worth nothing.

Greater than that however, and to Suzaku's surprise, was his concern for Kallen. He'd spent the past year as Zero, a ghost of an ideal with the flesh of a man, and his top priority should have been maintaining that secret. Yet he could think of nothing but rescuing the girl, and realized that his secret fell into a distant second.

Throwing the cabinet doors open, Suzaku began pulling out everything he would need. If the Knightpolice went along with the terrorists to wherever they were taking Kallen, nothing inside of it would help him. He was betting that the police would try to avoid such blatant involvement, and use political channels to refute any claims he made against them. If his theory was correct, and the terrorists didn't have any Knightmares on hand, he could save her.

_I might not be able to form an elaborate plan like Lelouch could, but I'm still Zero. Hang on Kallen, I'm coming._

* * *

><p>Opening her eyes slowly, Kallen winced at the throbbing pain in the side of her head. It took her a moment to get her bearings, and to notice her arms had been bound. She sat in a high backed chair, thin rope tightly trapping her wrists on the armrests. Yanking against them, she quickly realized that there was no way she was getting out on her own. The chair had been bolted to the floor, and struggling against the rope only served to rub her wrists raw.<p>

Taking a deep breath, Kallen sat back, closing her eyes and biting down on the pulsing in her head. Suzaku said he would come, and she had no choice but to trust him. If nothing else, she knew that he was tireless and tenacious. There was only one other person she could trust to stop at nothing to save her, and he was long dead. The sound of a door opening caused those tired lids to snap open, as a familiar form stepped into the room.

"I know you…" Kallen said through a haze of pain.

"I'm surprised you remember me."

The girl squinted at him, trying to put a name to the man's face. His hair was shorter than last she'd seen it, and it was difficult to recognize him no longer in a ridiculous Britannian uniform, but she quickly recalled his name.

"Kanon Maldini?"

"Indeed."

"That means… is Schneizel…?"

"No, no, I'm afraid not." The man said, shaking his head slowly. "Lelouch's Geass saw to it that his brother would never interfere with Zero's affairs. Oh, while we're on the subject of Zero…"

"Go to hell." Kallen spat, raising her chin. "I'm not telling you anything."

"No," Kanon replied, sighing. "I suppose you won't speak a word against your beloved Zero, will you?"

"You got that right, but if you untie me maybe we can discuss it." Kallen shot back, leaning forward and scowling at him.

"So unladylike." Kanon noted with a small laugh. "No matter, I doubt you know who he is anyway. However, there is something I'd like to find out, and I can promise that you _will_ tell me about this."

Kallen struggled against her bonds, as Kanon reached for something in a deep pocket, stalking toward her with a smirk.

* * *

><p>Suzaku sized up the building, quietly making his way through the dark alley that ran alongside it. What had once been an office building of some sort was now nothing more than a haven for squatters, lying inside the core of Shinjuku, outside of the current construction area. He'd tracked the Lancelot, and prayed silently that Kallen was here as well. A cool breeze drifted through shattered windows and gaping holes in the structure, a testament to the battle that had ravaged the area years before.<p>

Finding the window he was seeking, Suzaku took a few steps back, and sprinted ahead. He hit the wall running, feet scrabbling for purchase as he ascended the wall, snaring the sill with one hand. It took little effort to hoist his slimly muscled form up, rolling lithely into the building.

There was no sign of any of the terrorists on the second story hallway, and Suzaku darted quickly toward the center of the building. Black cape billowing out behind him, he sidled up to the expansive lobby, glancing over the low wall to the floor below. As expected, the Lancelot stood in the center of the entrance, along with a pair of men.

Turning, he quickly placed the small device on the wall behind him, switching it on before he crept around the balcony, to the other side overlooking the lobby. There he set the second liquid sakuradite explosive, checking to be sure the detonator wouldn't accidentally trigger in the coming minutes.

Standing slowly, Suzaku judged the fall and distance as best he could, and vaulted over the railing. He dropped silently, landing only a few paces from one of the men and rolling to break his fall, coming up just as the shocked terrorist turned. Jamming his elbow into the man's throat, Suzaku snatched the rifle from his grasp even as his adversary fell to the ground, gasping.

A quick burst from the rifle took the second man out, and then the clock was ticking. The shots echoed throughout the room, no doubt alerting everyone within the building to his infiltration. If he could get into the Lancelot before anyone else showed up, it would all be over in minutes.

He turned toward the Knightmare at the exact moment it moved, the pilot within slow on the uptake after his two cohorts had been taken out. Suzaku dove back, narrowly avoiding being crushed as the foot of the Lancelot crashed down, tearing up the tile floor. He rolled to his feet, reaching into his belt as the pilot raised the left arm of the mechanized unit.

_Dammit, they got the code._

Suzaku backpeddled as the slash harken was fired, and he was relieved to see that the man piloting his Knightmare was terrible. He lunged forward as the weapon was retracted, gloved hand wrapping tightly around the cable and yanking him up. Suzaku used the momentum to fling himself up, pulling a bulky rectangular device from his belt.

He landed on the Knightmare's shoulder, and quickly dropped down to hang from the gap along the breast section, swinging like a pendulum across its torso. As the Lancelot's arm came up to try and grab him, Suzaku slapped the miniature Gefjun disturber onto its chest. He flipped up onto the opposite shoulder as the older Lancelot, not equipped with the proper countermeasures, grinded to a halt. So much for taking his Knightmare back first.

With that out of the way, he leapt from the Knightmare to the balcony again, sprinting down the hall in search of his real objective. Shouted voices sounded throughout the building, as the terrorists began searching for their intruder. Shouldering a door open, Suzaku jogged up an emergency staircase. He wasn't sure where Kallen was being held, but nothing beyond the third floor seemed to be in habitable condition, so it was likely that was where he would find her.

Kicking the third floor door inward, he almost ran right into another terrorist. Suzaku planted his foot against the hallway wall, bounding up as the man went for his pistol. He spun in mid air, slamming his foot against the side of his foe's head, rendering him unconscious instantly. Suzaku hit the ground running, the darkness of the hallway compounded by the visor on his mask.

"We gotta take the girl and go!"

"He said to guard the door. It's just one man."

"One man? It's _Zero_!"

Suzaku sidled up a turn in the passage, pressing himself against the wall. Judging by their voices, the two men were a short distance down the next hall. Taking a calming breath, Suzaku unclasped the cape from his neck, drawing a pistol from his belt.

He spun away from the wall, hurling the heavy cape toward the man on the left even as he fired at the second. Two shots left the barrel of his gun, taking the terrorist in the chest as his friend fired blindly toward the cape. Rounds tore through the the cloth, eating away at the wall before Suzaku was spun by a stray shot. The bullet caught him in the shoulder and he fell, adjusting his aim and firing one more shot to catch the man in the throat. The terrorist went down with a rasping cry, blood pouring down his shirt. Suzaku cursed, quickly scrambling back to his feet and biting down on the pain in his arm.

It seemed like the bullet had passed through, but he didn't have time to check now. Quickly striding to the room the men had been posted at, he slammed his good shoulder into it. It gave way on the second try, and Suzaku burst into the room, raising his gun.

"You!" He cried out, glaring at Kanon Maldini behind Zero's mask.

The former Britannian general stood at Kallen's side, a pistol pressed against her slumped head. Suzaku snarled, keeping his own gun trained on the man as warm crimson ran down his left arm.

"Take it easy, Zero, you wouldn't want my finger to slip."

"I knew it was a mistake to let you go free."

"Live and learn, I suppose." Kanon replied with a smile. "So, why don't you take off that mask. I'd love to see who took the Demon Emperor's life."

Suzaku stared at him for a long moment, trying to decide what to do. He couldn't risk Kallen's life, and if he took a shot there was a chance Kanon would pull the trigger before he went down. After a long hesitation Suzaku slowly raised his injured arm, pulling the mask carefully off of his head.

"Kururugi?" Kanon exclaimed, shocked resignation flooding into his face. "But how, you're supposed to be-"

Suzaku fired, counting on the man's reaction to be an adequate distraction. The bullet hit Kanon square in the forehead, dropping him to the floor of the trashed room in a heap before he could pull the trigger on his own handgun.

"Dead." Suzaku finished, lowering his gun and quickly moving to Kallen's side.

The girl stared blankly at the floor, her gaze faraway. Slipping one hand beneath her chin, Suzaku forced Kallen's head up to stare into her eyes. Aside from the bruise along her ear, she appeared unharmed, and it only took him a moment to realize what Kanon had done.

"Refrain…"

Anger surged up inside of him. Refrain was used recreationally as a means to escape reality, to relive the memories of the past. When administered in a heavier dose, the drug also induced a catatonic state, making the mind of its victim malleable and open to interrogation. Suzaku himself had almost used the same methods on Kallen once, and the memory sat like lead in his stomach. It sickened him to think he had been so cold and inhuman to even consider such an option.

"Kallen?" He said quietly, still staring into those blank eyes. "It's me. I'm getting you out of here."

"Those gunshots, where did they come from?"

The harsh shouts came from down the hall, too close for him to make a run for it. Glancing back, Suzaku pulled the sakuradite detonator free. Pushing the button on top of it, he braced himself against Kallen's bolted chair as the explosives went off. The entire building rocked on its foundation, chunks of plaster falling to the floor all around him.

_That should get their attention._

He quickly tore at the ropes holding her to the chair, freeing her hands before slipping back into the hallway. After making sure that the coast was clear, Suzaku snatched up Zero's cape and ran back into the room. He took a moment to wrap Kallen within it, concerned the drug might put her into shock, and replaced the mask on his face.

Scooping the girl up for the second night in a row, and struggling to ignore the blood seeping down his arm, Suzaku ran from the room. He couldn't take her back toward the lobby, and there was no way they were getting out of one of the windows. That left one option; going up.

Suzaku made his way to the stairs once more, taking them two at a time and avoiding the places where they had been damaged. At the landing of the fourth floor, his suspicions about the buildings state were proved correct. The entire wall lining the hallway was nonexistent, a crisp breeze blowing through the building. There was nothing above him but the sky, half of the building completely destroyed from the fourth story up.

Footsteps on the stairs below urged him on, as he carefully avoided the holes in the floor and debris scattered in the way. It was slow going, but if he could just find somewhere to hide Kallen, he could try and fight them off.

"Hold it!"

Suzaku froze, turning slowly toward the man's voice behind him. Three of the terrorists had lined up behind him, their guns all trained directly on him. There was nowhere to go. If he tried to run, the men would cut him and Kallen down in seconds, and he had no hope of shooting it out with them with the girl in his arms.

"Just kill him," One of them said. "It's too risky to try to take him alive."

No sooner had the words left his lips than the wall behind them exploded inward. Suzaku turned and fell, shielding Kallen with his body as pieces of stone and drywall flew down the open hall. Dust plumed around them, chunks of the building bouncing off Suzaku's legs and back.

"Zero!"

Suzaku turned, glancing back as a Burai shambled slowly toward them, careful not to fall from the building. With the ringing in his ears and the adrenaline pumping through his veins, Suzaku couldn't recognize the voice that had called to him. The cockpit to the Knightmare slid open, as Suzaku slowly stood, Kallen a dead weight in his arms.

"Kallen?" Tamaki called, almost falling from the Knightmare in his haste. "Is she…?"

"She's alive." Suzaku said, relief sweeping over him; Ohgi had sent aid anyway. "Help the others secure the building, I'll get Kallen to safety."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Tamaki saves the day? Whaaaat? I never much cared for Kanon. He seemed like a snake oil salesman, and I really wanted to ice him. This isn't an 'action' fic, so if you're not so fond of this chapter or the previous that's fine, they're the only two I'll have in the story. When I finished this chapter I thought maybe I made Suzaku a little too ninja-badass, but honestly he was rather skilled in canon. Whatever, it's not the focus of the story anyway, so it doesn't matter much to me.

I'm getting these things out as fast as possible, so I hope I don't miss anything in the process. If you notice something please let me know. I've got the next chapter finished as well, but I'm not certain how I feel about it. It might be tweaked a bit, or written over again entirely. It's hard to try and fit Kallen and Suzaku together in what I would like to be a rather short fic, without a lot of time to build things up.

**MisterSP:** You make a valid point, but I only halfway agree. This particular 'love story' is used rather often. It's somewhat true in Hamlet, as well as in a handful of Greek plays, and a more modern example is The Last Samurai. It's all dependent on the people, rather than the actions. As Suzaku's killing was done out of mercy and not hate, and planned from the beginning, it's easier for Kallen to accept it and not hold a great deal of hate for him despite her feelings. You also have to factor in that Kallen and Suzaku are the only ones who know the truth, which acts as a bond, and that losing Lelouch was just as damaging to him. Sharing such a secret is a solid starting point, I think. Even though I'm not a Kallen/Suzaku shipper, I kinda enjoy _trying_ to make it work.


	5. Awake and Alive

**Chapter Five: Awake and Alive**

* * *

><p>Kallen was screaming inside of her head.<p>

Unable to speak or move, she was only vaguely aware of where she was. Propped up on a bed in a brightly lit room, she tried in vain to turn her head and survey her surroundings. The girl could feel each beat of her heart, every inhalation her body made by reflex, but she could control nothing.

Everything in the room seemed to have a haze around it, as though she was experiencing a waking dream. It was impossible to focus on the television against the wall, or even the foot of the bed she rested on. How had she gotten here, and why couldn't she recall what happened?

Kallen's memory was foggy, events that had occurred in the last few days out of order. Had she been at Ashford Academy before this, or had she fallen asleep at home, warm in her bed? She couldn't focus on anything she had done recently, and distantly she wondered if she'd suffered brain damage. Perhaps she had fallen, somehow, and been paralyzed? Was she in a coma?

The woman began to panic, her breath coming in ragged as her mental clarity began to falter. That lighted room began to swim, slowly becoming less and less clear as warm tears obscured her vision. Why couldn't she remember what happened?

A hollow sound drew her attention, the door to the room opening, but she couldn't turn her head to see who had come in. A black form stepped slowly into her vision, blurred to the point that she couldn't immediately distinguish who it was. Was this death, coming to claim her?

It was the mask that dispelled that notion. The familiar visor, dark and reflective, was the first thing she was able to really focus on. Zero, no it was Suzaku, she knew who was behind the mask, moved to stand at the foot of her bed. Kallen stared blankly at him, though she couldn't have averted her gaze if she wanted to. The girl focused wholly on that dark persona, the fog in her mind slowly fading.

Her heartbeat slowed, each breath coming in more evenly, as she gave her undivided attention to observing him. Suzaku stood with his shoulders slumped, ragged cape positioned to cover his left arm. As she stared at him, he leaned forward, bracing himself against her bed with one hand. She could only imagine what his expression was like, hidden away, and though she tried she couldn't seem to remember what he looked like.

"Can you hear me, Kallen?" He said quietly, his voice echoing in her mind.

She tried to reply, but was still unable to form words. With effort, the girl managed to shift her eyes, spotting the red jumpsuit draped over a nearby chair. Suddenly it all came back to her. She'd been strapped to a chair, struggling against her bonds as Kanon approached, pulling an injection gun from his pocket.

"It's the Refrain." Suzaku said softly. "It'll be out of your system soon. Don't be afraid."

Kallen wasn't afraid, not anymore. She was furious. If overwhelming anger could have broken her from her chemically induced paralysis, it would have. She wanted to tear Kanon apart, piece by piece, for daring to use _that_ drug on her.

"He's dead." Suzaku noted, as though reading her mind. "I took care of him myself. You're going to be okay."

Tearing her gaze from her piloting suit, the girl honed in on that mask again, trying to remember what had happened after she had been drugged. Her mind was swimming with false events, altered memories brought on by the Refrain. The only thing that remained constant was that mask, though she couldn't know if it had been reality or a dream that she had seen it in.

"Kallen… I…"

The door swung open again, cutting Suzaku off, and he immediately snapped upright. His stance was pure Zero, confidence mixed with arrogance, as that mask turned toward the door.

"How is she? Is she speaking yet?"

_Ohgi!_

Kaname leaned down in front of her, one hand slipping up to cup her cheek in his palm. The concern on his face pained her, and she realized that she couldn't feel his hand, or any of the ache from when she'd been hit. Had she been hurt more since then?

"You're safe now." Ohgi whispered, smiling sadly at her.

"Have you recovered the Lancelot?" Zero asked, his tone casual.

"What? Yes, of course."

"Excellent."

Ohgi was obviously annoyed at Suzaku's façade, as he took a businesslike air and seemed to care nothing for Kallen. Of course, the woman wasn't fooled. The way he'd acted when Ohgi had come in had been telling enough that she had been seeing him with his guard down.

"The doctor said the drug should run its course soon, and she seemed to suffer no permanent damage, if you wanted to know." Kaname said, sarcasm dripping from every word.

"In that case, I need some time alone with her."

"Why now? She can't even speak, and you're going to question her?"

"She needs only listen, not speak. If you would be so kind…"

Ohgi grumbled for a moment, casting one last glance at Kallen before leaving the room. The girl followed Suzaku with her eyes as he locked the door, pulling a chair to the side of the bed, just inside her field of vision. He collapsed into it, hesitating for a moment before he removed Zero's visage, setting the mask on the bed next to her. His cape slipped slightly, falling in such a way that Kallen noticed a peculiar reflection on his left sleeve. It took her a moment to realize that it was blood that soaked the black cloth, and he had hidden it from view the entire time. Suzaku leaned forward, burying his face in his right hand.

"I'm so sorry." He said quietly, his voice catching. "It's my fault you're in here..."

Suzaku gasped slightly, and Kallen swore for a minute he was about to cry. The moment passed quickly, as he sat back up and turned to stare into her eyes. He frowned, reaching over to touch the spot where she had been struck, before letting his hand fall onto the bed. Though she couldn't feel his touch, Kallen felt a strange flutter rise up in her, which surprised her even more than Suzaku's unusually emotional state.

"You're the first person to call me by my name since…" He began, dropping the thought and shaking his head. "Lelouch told me that I would give up being Suzaku Kururugi, abandoning all that I knew. That was his dying wish. Since then that name held little meaning to me, sacrificed to become Zero. Until… you resurrected it. I was blinded by that, clinging to a life that had ended already."

Suzaku stared at nothing in particular, as slowly his expression became cool and distant. Kallen felt as though she could see the walls being built, the barriers placed to separate Suzaku from Zero, and she could say nothing to stop him. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to do just that, and she knew exactly why.

He had become not just Zero, but Lelouch as well. He was giving up any chance he had at personal happiness for the greater good, using the same mask to build a better future, just as Lelouch had. Suzaku was completely alone, detached from everything he had loved in life, and it was destroying him. Kallen wanted to hit him. She wanted to scream at him until her voice gave out, so that he could see that he was wrong. He, they, didn't _have_ to do it alone.

"I can't be Suzaku anymore." He said, standing abruptly. "That name ceased to exist. I'm happy I got to hear it spoken again, at least…"

Suzaku put the mask of Zero on, turning that unfathomable visage onto her once more. Several drops of blood fell from his left hand, their impact on the floor loud in Kallen's distorted perception. The girl struggled to move, to sit up and stop him, but she could do no more than stare into that dark visor. She couldn't understand why she wanted so badly to make him stay, but at that moment it was the only desire she had.

"Goodbye, Kallen."

A moment later he was gone, and a familiar ache crept into the girl's stomach. She couldn't understand it. Suzaku had meant nothing to her a handful of days before, and she'd all but forgotten about him. What had changed since then? Why did she suddenly feel so lost?

She would never have admitted it, but deep down she knew what hurt so badly. Inside, Kallen was just as alone as he was.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>I'm a little surprised I've been putting these out one per day, but I'm in a bit of a rush. A short chapter, touching on the real problem I see between Kallen and Suzaku ever working as a pair: his mission as Zero. I'm not sure how I feel about this one to be honest. When I started working on it, I thought it would come out well, but upon finishing I wasn't quite sure it worked. I wanted it to be clear that this isn't a sweet love story, though it will lighten up a bit in the next few chapters. Mostly I wanted to show Suzaku and his self-destructive tendencies again, since he never does seem to be rid of them. So, does the chapter make sense and I'm just being overly critical?

**MisterSP:** I wasn't very clear before, and that was my mistake. It's shown that Kallen instantly catches on, and that Tohdoh likely recognized Suzaku's movements, and is silenced by Kallen. Nunnally was given a vision of the Zero Requiem (Whether that was due to Lelouch receiving a Code is still a heated topic I think). Jeremiah discovered it by **SHEER LOYALTY** (Or he was in on it, whichever). It's more than likely all of the core Black Knights, and those close to either Suzaku and Lelouch, have their suspicions. You're absolutely right on that, and I didn't explain what I meant very well. As far as the context for this story goes, in Suzaku's eyes, Kallen is the only one who has any clue who he is and approaches him. He couldn't see what we can as viewers, and so he assumes that he's perfectly anonymous with the exception of Kallen.

**thepinkmartini:** I don't know what it is, but I really dislike Kanon. Something about his character just got under my skin, but I really can't say why. Killing him off so abruptly felt pretty good. I'm also a fan of the 'anyone can die at any time' school of twists. Swift, anti-climactic deaths always seemed to hit me more than some drawn out last words dying scene.

Thanks for reading and reviewing. Like I said, it'll get a good deal lighter in tone from here on out. The most fun I've had with this is the back and forth between Kallen and Suzaku, so expect to see more of that.


	6. Fate to Face

**Chapter Six: Fate to Face**

* * *

><p>"Earth to Kallen, do you copy?" Gino said, waving a hand in front of her face.<p>

Kallen visibly started, her gaze refocusing on the blonde as he shook his head. It had been more than a month since Suzaku had said goodbye to her in the hospital, and Zero had left Tokyo behind before the sun had risen. Though she tried not to dwell on that night, on him, it remained a constant source of irritation. After Suzaku left she quickly rebuilt the walls that had always protected her, but she couldn't keep her thoughts from drifting back to him.

"Hmm?"

"What's been with you lately? You always seem distracted."

"No I'm not." Kallen replied, instantly defensive.

"Really? Okay, how did the movie we just saw end?"

"I… uh…"

"Exactly."

Kallen huffed, glancing out the window of the diner they had stopped at for dinner. She was frustrated more with herself than Gino, but she wasn't going to apologize for being impatient with him. He had a tendency to pry, and though Kallen enjoyed his company, she didn't want to answer his question. It wasn't like she knew how to answer him anyway.

She got the distinct feeling that Gino wanted more than she was willing to offer, but he never pushed. They had been dancing the fine line between friends and something more than that for months, mostly because of her. There was nothing wrong with Gino, but Kallen just couldn't bring herself to let him in.

"There you go again." He said through a mouthful of food, leaning back in the booth to raise an eyebrow at her.

"Oh shut up." Kallen replied, rolling her eyes.

"You know what you need?"

"I'm sure you'll tell me."

"A vacation."

"Are you serious?" Kallen replied, laughing. "A vacation from what? I'm done with school, and I don't have a job."

"That's my point. You don't have anything to do, and it seems like you're bored, or something."

Kallen shrugged, absently stabbing at her dinner. It wasn't that she was bored as much as she couldn't focus on anything. She'd been going through the motions, living through the days, but more often than not she felt empty. Lelouch's death had rattled her, and she had gone to great lengths to keep anyone from getting through her defenses. Yet, in a moment of weakness, she'd let one person inside, for just one night. Her memories kept dragging her back to that trailer, and the ghost of a man inside of it, and she hated it.

"Maybe you're right." She agreed, pushing Suzaku out of her mind.

"Of course I am." Gino replied with a grin. "So, why don't you come to Britannia with me?"

Kallen had just taken a bite when he spoke, and immediately began to choke. She fell into a coughing fit, and had to take a moment before she could speak.

"_Britannia?_ You have to be joking."

"Why not? If you haven't noticed, the war's over. The homeland isn't the same as it was."

"Still…"

"Oh, come on. My family has a villa in Joyous Garde, right on the Pacific coast. Thankfully _they_ don't use it."

"Isn't that where Nunnally moved the Capital?"

"Yeah, but that's in the city itself. Our villa lies outside of it. You wouldn't have to see any Brits, except for me of course, if you didn't want to."

"I suppose…" Kallen agreed, frowning thoughtfully. "It might be okay."

Gino grinned, going on about what she could expect from Joyous Garde. Kallen acted as though she was interested, though her mind drifted once again. Perhaps she did need to get away from Japan, just for a little while. It could be just what she needed to get her mind off that mask, off of Suzaku.

* * *

><p>Gino hadn't been exaggerating when he claimed Joyous Garde was one of the most beautiful cities she would ever see. Despite how large it was, there was a quaint air to the sprawling metropolis. Palm trees dotted the streets, and for the most part the people were very well mannered without coming across as stuffy. Kallen didn't want to admit it, but the Britiannian city was far more welcoming than Tokyo ever had been.<p>

Of course, she reminded herself as she climbed into the car that would take them to the villa, Joyous Garde hadn't been ravaged by internal struggle for a decade. Regardless of how beautiful the city was it was still surely rife with corruption and evil.

"So?" Gino asked, grinning over her as they settled into the back seat.

"What?"

"What do you think?"

"It's fine." Kallen said, shrugging and staring out the window.

"You like it." He replied with a laugh.

The two of them rode in silence, and Kallen distantly wondered what she had been thinking when she agreed to this. She had willingly flown across the planet to visit the nation she had despised and resisted for years, for no reason other than that she had been asked. It wasn't like her to fold so easily. Kallen didn't even want to think of the potential implications this made with Gino. She was going to be spending who knows how long in a beach front villa with a friend who was probably hoping for something more. Taking a deep breath as they left the city behind, she glanced over at Gino, and was surprised at his somber expression.

"What's wrong?"

"Huh?" He replied quickly. "Oh, nothing. I just haven't been back here in a long time."

"That's right." Kallen recalled. "You told me you joined the military at sixteen."

"Yeah. My parents and I… didn't see eye to eye. We patched things up, I suppose, but I haven't seen them since."

"Will they be at the villa?" Kallen asked, concerned about having to deal with _that_ issue.

"No." He assured her. "They bought it for me, and I doubt they've gone there in years."

"They bought you a _house_?"

"I begged them for it." Gino replied with a small laugh. "Though it ended up being used mostly as a summer retreat for their noble, stuck up country club friends."

"Oh, it must have been rough, not being able to play with your _house_ whenever you wanted." Kallen said, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Watch it or you'll be sleeping with our servants, in a small shack with no roof."

"At least I'll have a good view of the stars." Kallen shot back, smirking.

"Then I hope it rains."

Kallen was laughing as the car pulled into the gated villa, chatting casually with Gino, and decided that this trip might not be so bad after all. It wasn't until they got closer to the massive summer home that the two of them noticed the other vehicles parked outside, and Gino looked concerned.

"Impossible…" He said, slipping out of the car as soon as it stopped.

Kallen got out as well, standing beside her open door as Gino approached a pair of men standing near the front of the estate. He spoke with them quickly, before glancing up at one of the rooms of the house. Kallen watched apprehensively as he came back to the car, a slight frown on his face.

"It looks like we won't be able to play with the house all by ourselves, at least for this weekend."

"What do you mean?"

"I guess my parents are trying to get on Nunnally's good side, even though they should know she doesn't work that way." He explained, shrugging and glancing back at the house. "Well, at least it's not some foreign diplomat or something, though the guards will be annoying."

"Who's staying here with us?"

"Zero."

_This can't be happening._

* * *

><p>This was really happening. Kallen threw her suitcase into the room Gino had offered her, slamming the door behind her. Fate officially hated her. It couldn't have stepped in, offering a hand during the month Kallen had spent trying to get in touch with Suzaku again, oh no. It just had to decide instead to throw the two of them back into each other, when she had finally decided not to pursue him anymore.<p>

The girl fell back onto her bed, rubbing her eyes as she let out a frustrated growl. She'd tried everything she could to reach him after he left the hospital that night, but Suzaku had managed to elude even a phone call from her. The stubborn ass had even gone so far as to cut contact with Ohgi, outside of required channels, just to avoid the confrontation.

It was childish, the way he had run off without giving her even a chance to speak. Kallen couldn't explain what had driven her to try and contact him, aside from the desire that he not fall to the same fate as Lelouch. In hindsight, she didn't even know why she cared what happened to him. If that idiot wanted to cut all ties with the world and be miserable, she should just let him.

Yet, even now, the thought of just walking away wrenched at her stomach. She'd done just that when Lelouch had shut her out, and she'd let him go without a backward glance, because she believed that was what he truly wanted. It wasn't until after he was gone that she realized the man had been protecting her, giving her no choice but to let him go.

Kallen had been a mess after Lelouch, she had no illusions about it. She felt like she had betrayed him, even if it was his decision to push her away. She was supposed to be there with him to the end, and her life had merely dragged on ever since. Now, a year later, could she honestly stand idly by and watch as Suzaku walked the same path?

_Suzaku._ For months following that fateful day, she honestly believed she hated him. With nowhere else to focus her grief and pain, she had aimed it solely at the man who took Lelouch's life. It had taken her some time to come to terms with the fact that it wasn't Suzaku she hated, but herself. She had abandoned Lelouch when he needed her most, and she wasn't sure if she could ever forgive herself for it.

Rolling off of the bed and onto her feet, Kallen sighed in frustration, and headed to the attached bathroom. She wasn't going to let Suzaku fall to the same fate as Lelouch, alone in the world, but she had no idea how she could get through to him. For now, she would just do her best to forget about the situation. She'd promised Gino an afternoon at the beach. After that, maybe she would be able to think straight.

* * *

><p>As far as accommodations went, Suzaku couldn't complain. It was certainly more comfortable than a Britannian Embassy, and the treaty signing wasn't until Monday, a full two days away. As he roamed the halls of the Weinberg Estate, Suzaku wondered if he would have eventually visited here with Gino, had fate not intervened. Gino had been a good friend, even though Suzaku didn't appreciate it much at the time. He'd been in a dark place then, twisted up inside and confused, and had found the other knight's optimism to be annoying more than endearing. In a different time and place, they would have been closer.<p>

He hadn't expected that the location offered to Nunnally for him to stay would prove to belong to Gino's parents, but he shouldn't have been surprised. The upper class Britannians still sought some measure of influence and control, even when their entire system had been reconstructed. Most were simply relics clinging to their old Empire.

Nodding to the guards stationed in the house, his face hidden behind that mask, Suzaku made his way up the stairs of the villa. He longed to be rid of his masquerade for awhile, and might remain in his room for the rest of the day. With an amused smirk, he wondered how the house staff would react if they delivered dinner to him only to find Zero in pajamas and a mask.

As he rounded the corner toward his room, that smile fell instantly, as he saw the person he least expected to see. Kallen and Gino stopped a short distance in front of him, one smiling and the other stone faced, and Suzaku felt a knot form in his stomach.

"Hey there!" Gino said amiably, waving.

The blonde had a towel draped over his shoulders, dressed in a pair of shorts and sandals. Suzaku found his gaze inexorably drawn to Kallen. She stared at him blankly, her own towel clutched to her chest, a long shirt covering her bathing suit and leaving her legs bare.

"Master Weinberg," Suzaku said, amazed that his voice didn't break. "I'd like to thank you for your hospitality."

"Ah, don't worry about it." The former Knight of Three replied dismissively. "We're heading down to the beach, if you'd like to join us."

Kallen shot a glance over at him, an odd look on her face, and for a moment Suzaku wasn't sure how to react. He couldn't keep his thoughts together, and cleared his throat loudly.

"I appreciate the thought, but I think it would leave an obvious tan line." He replied, indicating the mask that hid him view.

_I can't believe I just said that…_

"Fair point." Gino said, chuckling. "I guess we'll see you later then."

Suzaku nodded, as the two of them slipped past him and down the stairs. For a long moment, he couldn't move, unable to process what had just occurred. What was Kallen doing _here_, of all places? Did she really follow him all the way to Britannia?

He dismissed that idea immediately. She'd tried to contact him several times, true, but he doubted she would come all this way just to confront him. It was just coincidence or fate that crossed their paths again. Glancing behind him, Suzaku realized he had been holding his breath, and let it out in a rush.

_Did that really just happen?_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Knight of the Rounds love triangle? Maybe, we'll see. I like Gino as a character, and his attitude is light and fun to write, but I don't see much chemistry between them. Still a good possible pairing, but that's not the point of this story. So we have Kallen and Suzaku pretty much forced into each other again, with Gino there to complicate matters. Not much else to add, but expect the actually shipping to go farther from here on out.


	7. Collision

**Chapter Seven: Collision**

* * *

><p>"So what was that all about?" Gino asked, glancing sideways at her.<p>

"What do you mean?" Kallen replied, knowing full well what he was talking about.

She didn't sprawl out on her back to soak up the sun, like most girls would. Kallen sat on her towel, both knees drawn up to her chest as she stared out at the sea. It wasn't that she was shy about being exposed in a bathing suit, or that she was nervous about sitting so close to Gino. She just wasn't as open as most people, especially these days. Those walls she had constructed carried over into her body language, which was usually closed to keep her separate from the world around her.

The two teenage pilots sat beneath the warm sun, a gentle ocean breeze drifting lazily over them. Gino's villa extended its boundaries to include the section of sand that they had walked down to, a rather high privacy fence keeping those living on either side of the house from trespassing or spying on them. Still, Kallen felt as though she was being scrutinized, and it made her more nervous.

"Did something happen between you and Zero?" The blonde continued, raising an eyebrow.

"No, of course not."

"Uh huh, sure." Gino said, smirking. "Then why did he completely ignore you?"

"It's not like we're friends. Why would it matter if he didn't talk to me?"

"Didn't you help him with some mission just a month ago?"

Kallen had forgotten that she told Gino a little about their collaboration in Shinjuku. Shrugging absently, she dug her toes into the sand. Rather than answer him, the girl slipped back into comfortable, walled in safety. For a long moment neither of them spoke, before finally Gino fell back into the sand, tucking both hands behind his head.

"It's strange, isn't it?" He began, glancing at her. "I'd never have figured Lelouch would be brought down by his own alter-ego."

Gino had learned some time ago that referring to the former Emperor of Britannia by anything other than his name didn't earn him any points with Kallen, and hadn't used the word 'demon' in conjunction with his name since.

"If he could have chosen his death, I can't think of any other way he would have it."

"Kallen," He said, frowning thoughtfully. "If Zero was the one who killed him, why did you help him last month? I mean, even after Lelouch betrayed you, didn't you still-"

The young Brittanian was cut off by Kallen's sharp glance, and smirked knowingly at her.

"Because Zero was right. He was doing what Zero was meant to do all along." She replied quietly.

"How do we know he isn't just using the name Lelouch built for his own ends? The entire world is once again wondering who Zero is, but everyone seems to ignore his hidden identity, all because he helped bring about the current peace."

"Why does it matter who he is on the inside, if that was his goal? It doesn't make any difference what mistakes he made, or who he hurts, if in the end he gets the right results."

"Are you talking about Zero, or Lelouch?"

Honestly, Kallen wasn't sure. She chewed on it for a minute, her mind jumping back and forth, before she fell back into the sand in frustration. It was difficult to focus, with her thoughts constantly drifting to how she would confront Suzaku.

"I don't know anymore." She said finally, sighing. "You really want to know what happened between me and Zero?"

"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't."

"He saved my life, and could have gotten himself killed in the process."

"So why wouldn't he speak to you?"

Kallen bit down on her lip, absently rubbing her eyes and trying to gather her thoughts. When she glanced back at Gino, the young man was staring at her with a strange intensity.

"You know who he is, don't you?" He asked, mildly surprised.

Kallen could only nod, ashamed she couldn't keep her wits about her. She'd tipped him off to the truth somehow, and expected Gino to grill her about it. Sighing, she closed her eyes.

"That's why he stonewalled you? Because you knew too much?"

"Not exactly." She said, tiptoeing around her words. "He couldn't let it become personal, and that's what it was."

"I see…" Gino replied, looking somewhat crestfallen.

_What am I saying?_

"It wasn't like that," She added quickly. "It's just that… he's Zero now, and nothing else, according to him. That means he can have no real friends, nobody he can confide in. I never had the chance to convince him otherwise before he left Tokyo."

"Well," Gino said. "You can now, can't you?"

"Right." Kallen replied with a laugh. "Like he'd even listen."

"You mean he's more stubborn than _you?_ I find that hard to believe."

"I guess" She shrugged, tossing a handful of sand away.

"Just corner him, and make him listen. No matter his sins, and even if he's Zero, he doesn't deserve to be alone, right?"

Kallen glanced over at him, frowning. Gino had a point, and it was the same basic idea she'd had, even though he didn't know who was hiding behind that visor. She'd all but given up on Suzaku before arriving at the villa, but there had to be a reason that once again the two of them had crossed paths.

"Do it later, though." He added, jumping to his feet. "_After_ I throw you in ocean."

"You wouldn't…"

* * *

><p>Leaning against the wall on the balcony outside of his room, Suzaku watched impassively as Kallen struggled to keep from being hurled into the vast blue sea. He was sure they couldn't see his face from so far, with the sun glaring down at them, and so he had removed Zero's mask.<p>

He didn't know what to do. It was only a matter of time before Kallen would try to confront him, and he'd thought before that he would be ready for it. Yet having run into her again he realized that he was wrong. Suzaku was still sure he'd made the right choice, cutting all ties with the one person who knew who he really was, but he couldn't keep from wishing things were different. He had to keep his identity a secret, and letting Kallen become involved with him put her in danger. She'd already almost died because of him, and Suzaku wouldn't allow that to be another of his sins.

As Gino finally completed what may have been his most difficult mission, and Kallen resurfaced with a string of curses, Suzaku left the balcony. He tossed his mask onto the bed, before settling down next to it. He had to figure out a way to avoid the woman, but what could he do? It wasn't like he could just pack up and leave the villa. There was nowhere else for him to go on such short notice, especially considering the Brittannians who would love nothing more than to send assassins after him. The estate was secure and safe, and he couldn't risk his life to avoid such an inconvenience.

He would just have to stay in his room as much as possible, and remain close to the security detail assigned to him when he was outside. She wouldn't approach him so openly with a handful of other people nearby. This wasn't a vacation, after all, so it was no problem to simply be scarce until the signing.

A bad plan was better than no plan, and Suzaku assured himself he could avoid her. Rising from the bed, he snatched up the mask. He'd grab a bite to eat before she returned with Gino, and then it was just a matter of locking the door to his room and hiding out. At least he'd have some company while he bunkered down, though a cat was hardly good conversation.

* * *

><p>Kallen's hair was still damp when she reached her room, the setting sun bathing the hallway in a fiery orange. The girl hesitated at the portal, turning to stare at Suzaku's room at the end of the hall. She was torn between letting it go until morning and storming over to his door, and for a long moment she just stood in the hall.<p>

Taking a deep breath, Kallen strode down the hallway, stopping right in front of his door. She knew she should probably shower and change before trying to confront him, but she was still flush with confidence from her talk with Gino, and was afraid she'd lose her nerve. Still, she blushed slightly as she rapped on Suzaku's door, glancing down at the tee shirt that barely covered her thighs.

After several seconds, when there was no answer, Kallen tried the door. It was, as she expected, locked. Suzaku might not actually be inside, but she was willing to bet he had been planning to hide out in his room. She'd be damned if she let a door stop her.

Kallen considered just banging on the door until he got sick of it, but that might be cause for alarm with the security staff. That also ruled out knocking the damn thing off its hinges. She would have to find some other way to get to him. Glancing at the window near her, at the very end of the hall, it came to her.

The window still stood open, a cool breeze blowing inside, and Kallen leaned out. As expected, the balcony to Suzaku's room was only a few feet away. She hesitated for a moment before climbing onto the sill, clinging to the pane as she leaned toward the platform.

A small hop was all it took for her to reach the railing, and she flipped nimbly onto the balcony. The door stood open, Suzaku's view overlooking the stretch of sand she'd recently spent the day on. As she stepped into the room, Kallen distantly wondered if he'd been watching them, as something warm brushed against her bare leg.

The girl jumped, gasping in surprise and almost stepping on Arthur. The cat took a seat on the floor, and Kallen had to stifle a laugh. The former Ashford Student Council mascot had managed to get his head into a very familiar mask, and as Kallen looked down at him Zero-Arthur cocked his head to the side.

"He kept you with him?" Kallen asked as she kneeled, scooping the feline into her arms.

Arthur was a good sign, and a slight smile touched her lips. Suzaku couldn't have eliminated his past completely if he had kept the cat, especially because it posed serious personal risk to him. If anyone who knew Arthur saw him, it wouldn't be any trouble at all to discern who wore Zero's face.

Stroking Arthur's back, she was rewarded with a nudge, the cat's head rolling into her from the weight of the mask. It was at that moment that the door to the attached bathroom opened, and Suzaku stepped out. He was shirtless, a damp towel draped around his neck, and froze instantly when he spotted Kallen across the room.

As the masked feline leapt from her arms to the bed, Suzaku's gaze jumped from her to the cat, before sliding to the nearby door. A look of confusion and apprehension touched his features, and he nervously dried his hair.

"I was sure I locked that…"

"Come on," Kallen replied, annoyed. "Did you really think that would stop me?"

"I guess not." He said with a sigh. "What do you want?"

Kallen glared at him, all nervousness about her appearance dispelled. She boldly strode closer, her anger leaping up before she could manage to check it.

"A month, and that's all you have to say to me?" She snapped at him, snarling slightly. "You just up and leave me in the hospital, avoid any kind of contact for a month, and you wonder what I _want_?"

"I told you, Kallen-"

"No, shut up. It's my turn to talk. Maybe when I'm done, I'll let you say something."

Suzaku looked positively mollified, opening his mouth to speak before thinking better of it. He simply stood stock still, as though unsure if he should retreat into the bathroom or not.

"Good boy." Kallen began, still leering at him.

She realized suddenly that she wasn't sure what to say. In her anger and frustration, she'd gone over this conversation dozens of times in her head. Yet now, when she was finally face to face with Suzaku again, she couldn't seem to form the right words. Her expression softened slightly, and she sighed.

"Is that it?" Suzaku asked warily.

"No," She replied, annoyed. "God, you're infuriating, did you know that?"

Suzaku said nothing, and Kallen took a deep breath to clear her head.

"I never thanked you for saving me. You didn't have to come for me alone, but you did."

"I promised I would." Suzaku replied, before he quickly caught himself and looked away.

"Then think of this as returning the favor."

Suzaku glanced back at her, confused and unsure what she meant. Kallen glared at him, daring him to speak, and after a moment he simply stared at her.

"You really think you can do this?" She continued. "You're going to abandon everything you've ever known, and hide behind that mask forever?"

"Yes." He said, though he sounded less sure than he probably had expected. "It has to be this way."

"Like hell it does." Kallen spat.

"Kallen, you don't understand."

"No, I get it. If anyone finds out Zero really is, then everything that has happened because of him will fall to pieces."

"Yes. For that reason, Suzaku Kururugi can't exist. That was the Zero Requiem. This was Lelouch's wish."

"Lelouch is _dead!_"

Suzaku reacted as though he'd been struck, and Kallen was shocked at how cold her words sounded. She realized she'd never once spoken those words, and had even spent quite some time denying it. It hurt to hear herself voice the truth more than it would have had anyone else said it. Tears leapt into her eyes, blurring her vision, and Kallen fought them back.

"Lelouch is dead." She said again, her voice a whisper. "But _you're_ still here."

"No, I'm not, Kallen."

She strode quickly to him, frustration and sorrow blurring her vision. Kallen wanted to beat the defiance out of him. He was so infuriating and stubborn, unwilling to see anything but his own plans. Suzaku tensed as she reached him, expecting the anger he knew she could unleash, and Kallen was planning to oblige him.

Instead, to both of their surprise, she kissed him.

* * *

><p>Suzaku was waiting for a blow that never came. Her lips pressed against his, the girl rising up on her toes and planting both hands on his chest. Suzaku froze, eyes wide, and for a moment he forgot every roiling thought in his head. He could only focus on the moment, which seemed to last days longer than the scant seconds their lips met.<p>

The slight dampness of her shirt, soaked through from her still wet bathing suit. A faint scent of sea and sand, mixed with the sweet underlying smell that was Kallen. Her soft, pliant lips molding themselves insistently against his mouth. All of these things took over his awareness, and after a moment Suzaku found himself pressing back against her.

Abruptly Kallen broke contact, stepping away. She stumbled back, apparently as shocked at her actions as he was, and looking torn. The two of them stood silently for a long moment, staring at each other. Finally Kallen turned on her heel, quickly crossing the room and throwing the bedroom door open.

She stormed out, leaving Suzaku breathless and confused. He wasn't sure what had just happened, or why, but he could think of nothing but her lips. Where had all of this come from? Exhaling sharply, he stared at the open door, not caring who might come in and see him.

Suzaku was so wrapped up in the moment that had just passed that he didn't notice Arthur at his feet. It wasn't until the mask fell from the cat's head, landing on his foot hard enough to make him cry out, that he snapped out of his stupor. Arthur stared up him quizzically, cocking his head to the side before turning his gaze to where Kallen had departed. It wasn't hard for Suzaku to guess what he was thinking.

_Go after her, you idiot._

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> It's sometimes difficult to have two characters as stubborn as Kallen and Suzaku interact. Someone usually has to back down, and in this case I made it Suzaku. With how pissed Kallen would be at his abrupt departure from Japan, it stands to reason that she'd be pretty blunt with him. It's also kind of tough to really incorporate an attraction between the two, since neither are overly affectionate in general. Kallen softened up a lot with Lelouch, and the same with Suzaku, but those were during times where they were a bit more emotionally stable. With Kallen still walled in because of Lelouch's death at Suzaku's hand, and his identity crises, it becomes even more challenging. Of course, that makes it more rewarding to try and write. So I hope it worked for those of you reading this.

**kaminomi: **I'm assuming you didn't bother to read the story, and I thought at first you might be the same anonymous person who contributes nothing but a 'no kallen y suzaku' in a review. If it's your opinion that Kallen and Suzaku is an 'insult' to her character, that's fine, but why do you think that? Just throwing out a comment such as you did really gives you no credibility, and seems like you're trying to fire some cannons from ship to ship. I doubt you'll read this anyway, so it doesn't really matter. If you're going to claim it's an affront to a character, you should at least explain why. There are plenty of _really_ crack pairings up with support, and I don't feel Kallen/Suzaku is more outrageous than any of those.


	8. Connection

**Chapter Eight: Connection**

* * *

><p>The wind across the ocean was chilled, dancing across the sand before wrapping around Kallen's bare legs. It didn't help matters that she had yet to change out of her bathing suit, which was still damp against her flesh. Shaking her head and shivering slightly, she strode purposefully across the beach. Kallen realized then that she had no idea where she was going, or just what in the hell she had been <em>doing<em>.

"Why did I do that?" Kallen asked the breeze, rubbing two fingers absently across her lips.

She shook her head again, dropping in a heap to sit in the sand, not caring that it clung to her legs and rear. Of all the people she could choose to kiss, that stubborn, infuriating boy wasn't one she'd been expecting. What bothered her even more was how natural it had felt, how very satisfying, how…

"…amazing." She voiced her thoughts softly, before burying her face in her hands. "What the hell am I saying?"

If Suzaku hadn't been dead set on avoiding her before, no doubt he would be now. His entire spiel had been about cutting ties with his own identity, and locking lips with the girl who knew Zero's biggest secret was definitely not doing that. Sighing, Kallen reined in her thoughts. He would try to force some distance again, okay, maybe that was a good idea. She needed to clear her head before she ended up doing something rash and unpredictable again. Yet even thinking about that formed a hard knot in her stomach.

"Kallen!"

The girl froze, her gaze slowly travelling to the brown haired youth as he jogged toward her. Of all the stupid things he could do, Suzaku actually came after her, and he did it in only the shorts he'd worn after departing from the shower. Kallen was on her feet in an instant, her eyes leaping toward the villa that stood not far from them.

"You idiot!" She said, noticing the two guards that were trying to move closer to the beach to see what all the yelling was about. "Your mask!"

Suzaku stumbled to a halt as Kallen snared his wrist, dragging him away from prying eyes as quickly as possible.

"If any of them managed to see your face, do you think they wouldn't put it together? You're pretty easily recognized, did you know that?"

"I didn't think." Suzaku said quietly as he was towed across the sand. "I mean, after what happened, my disguise completely slipped my mind…"

"Of course it did." She grumbled, yanking the boy out of view behind one of the white lifeguard shacks lining the coast.

Kallen released her hold on his wrist, turning to pace back and forth beneath the ever watchful moon. She hadn't expected him to actually try to follow her, but it scared her to realize she was hoping the entire time that he would.

"What was that all about, anyway?" Suzaku asked petulantly, crossing his arms.

"Be quiet." Kallen replied, digging her toes in the sand and trying to clear her head.

"If it was some attempt to try and trick me into not doing what I have to, then I'm sorry but-"

"Would you just _shut up_?" Kallen asked in a fast whisper, turning on her heels and kissing him again.

Suzaku inhaled deeply as their lips met for the second time, and Kallen cupped his face in her hands. Despite his claim that what happened in the villa wouldn't change anything, he kissed her back with the same urgency that she displayed. Suzaku stumbled back under her advance, reaching behind him to stay balanced as the two of them hit the stairs of the lifeguard tower.

There was nothing graceful about Suzaku's descent onto the second step, his back impacting hard enough with the edge of it to make him wince, but he didn't push Kallen away. The girl straddled his lap, her lips locked tightly with his. She didn't understand why she wanted to do this so badly, but fighting it was more frustrating than accepting it, and so Kallen decided to simply go with it.

Suzaku slowly relaxed beneath her hands, reaching up to gently grasp the nape of her neck, while wrapping his other arm around Kallen's back. They maintained contact for what felt like several moonlit nights, before Kallen finally leaned back slightly, sucking in a great gulp of much needed air.

"Was this what you had been trying to avoid?" She asked quietly, working to control her breathing.

"I don't know." Suzaku replied earnestly, his gaze searching hers. "I guess… maybe it was…"

Kallen flushed slightly upon realizing the intimate position she had forced them into, and slipped slowly off of Suzaku's lap, slightly disturbed at the reluctance she felt in doing so. She turned to sit on step below him, Suzaku's knees on either side of her, and leaned back.

"So, what now?" He asked, shifting uncomfortably.

"I was serious when I told you to shut up." She replied with a smirk, slipping her arms around one of his legs and using his thigh as a pillow.

They sat in silence for several long minutes, and eventually Suzaku gently rested his hands on her shoulders. He clearly had no idea how to express affection, but for that matter Kallen wasn't too experienced with it either. This sudden appreciation for closeness wasn't like her, and she distantly wondered what had changed. Deep down, however, she already knew.

"I'm not going to let you go it alone." Kallen said, her voice hardly more than a whisper. "I don't care what you say, or where you run to, I won't stand by and watch you make the same mistake he did…"

Suzaku didn't answer her, but the small sigh that slipped from his lips told her that she had won. Whether it was the hormones that came with youth or genuine affection for her, she didn't care, so long as it kept Suzaku from being another sacrifice for the good of the world. If his fate was to be the same as Lelouch's, well, then so would hers.

"So how exactly are we supposed to get back to my room?" Suzaku asked after some time.

"We? Just what are you implying?"

"Erm, I mean, how am I going to sneak back into the house?"

"How did you get out, actually? I was curious about that."

"I kind of just… jumped off the balcony."

"You jumped…" Kallen repeated, glancing back at him.

"I didn't know where you would go, but I figured you would try to get out of the house. That was the fastest way to catch you."

Kallen kissed him again, gently, before rising to her feet. Leaping into the fray without a thought in his head was so very Suzaku, and it didn't surprise her in the least.

"Come on." She ordered, taking his hand and pulling him up. "We'll just have to try and be stealthy."

They made their way quickly back to the estate, which was thankfully dark with the exception of Suzaku's room. Kallen tried the beach side door, found it locked, and decided there was probably only one way they were getting in. Dragging Suzaku behind her, the girl made her way beneath the balcony of his room.

"Get on your hands and knees." She said quietly, stepping back to judge the distance as Suzaku did as he was told.

Kallen got a running start, planting her foot between the boy's shoulders and vaulting into the air. Snaring the bottom of the balcony with one hand, she quickly scrambled up, nearly tripping over Arthur in the process. Wordlessly she gestured to the locked door, before sneaking down the stairs to let Suzaku in.

She'd never snuck a boy into her own house before, but she imagined it felt no different than this. Actually, the consequences should they be caught now were far greater. Unlatching the door, she stepped aside as Suzaku crept in, and without a second thought she took his hand once more.

The two of them made it back to his room without incident, avoiding the one roaming guard that remained awake. Once inside, Suzaku closed and locked the door again, before collapsing back onto his bed, yawning.

"I'm going to use your shower." Kallen stated, snatching a towel off of the rack outside of the bathroom. "I don't want to have to deal with Gino hearing me in my room and asking me where I've been all night."

"Go ahead." Suzaku said with a nervous shrug, staring at the ceiling.

Kallen looked him over one last time before she slipped into the bathroom. The shower was refreshing, the steaming water rinsing every ounce of sand and salt off of her sun touched body. She lingered in it longer than she normally would have, savoring the heat, before finally stepping out and wrapping herself in the towel.

It was then that she realized she had forgotten one crucial thing: clothes. Sighing, the girl stuck her head out the door to the bathroom only to see Suzaku sprawled out on top of the bed, fast asleep. Satisfied that he wouldn't be getting another free show, she stepped quietly into the bedroom.

After a few minutes of rummaging Kallen found one of Suzaku's shirts that was long enough maintain some semblance of decency, and double checked to make sure he was still asleep. Shedding the tower, she quickly pulled the tee shirt over her head, noting absently the scent of the man within the soft cotton.

Hesitating near Suzaku, Kallen found she was reluctant to sneak back to her room and go to bed. With the events of the evening she found she wasn't the least bit tired, and though it bothered her, she wanted to remain close to the man for a little longer.

Climbing into the bed, she curled up next to Suzaku, propping her head in her hand to stare at him. He slept peacefully, each breath even and slow, and Kallen's mind drifted to recall the feel of his lips on hers, the strange sensation when she touched him.

Letting her head fall onto the pillow with a confused frown, Kallen continued to mull over her feelings and desires, and didn't even notice when those thoughts made the transition into dreams.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Rather short chapter, but I figured I'd put one out before Writer's Block sets in again. Hope you enjoyed it, and reviews appreciated.


	9. The Triangle of Trust

**Chapter Nine: The Triangle of Trust**

* * *

><p>Bathed in the morning sun that filtered through the window above his bed, Suzaku groaned and shifted. He was vaguely aware of a pressure on his chest, warm and soft, and oddly enough, furry. It took him a moment to place the familiar weight, before Arthur dug his claws into the young man's bare chest.<p>

Hissing in surprise, Suzaku's eyes shot open, and he found himself staring into a feline gaze as the cat sat atop him, head cocked to the side. Arthur glanced to the right, and it took Suzaku a moment to realize what the pest was staring at. Following Arthur's gaze, Suzaku found Kallen curled against him, her cheek resting on his shoulder and one arm draped over his stomach.

The girl had wrapped both of her legs around one of his, and during the night the fabric of the shirt she had donned, his shirt, had shifted quite far up her thighs. Suzaku felt his face grow hot, and he gently attempted to untangle himself from her arms. That only proved to make Kallen cling tighter to his side, her legs sliding up to reveal more of those shapely legs.

Sighing, Suzaku glanced over at Arthur, his eyes pleading for some kind of assistance. The cat merely shrugged at him, before leaping to the floor and rolling around with Zero's mask. Silently the brown haired youth contemplated his next move. It was too late to push her away now, literally and figuratively. In that moment of weakness he had allowed her into his heart and his bed, both of which he knew shouldn't be open for business.

Gently he tucked several strands of unruly red hair behind Kallen's ear, her warm breath tickling his chest. It was rare to see the fiery woman so peaceful, and Suzaku wondered distantly if he had starred in her dreams. No sooner had he pulled his fingers away from her face than a loud knock sounded on the door to his room.

"Zero? Are you in there?" Gino asked, his voice rushed.

There was a moment of terror as Suzaku tried to recall if he had locked the door or not. The fear abated quickly, as he was quite certain he had taken all the necessary precautions. Seconds ticked by silently, as he waited for the former Knight of Three to give up and go away. The only sound in the room was Kallen's gentle breathing, until a peculiar clicking sound drifted from the door.

This was Gino's home, Suzaku realized, of course he had a key. In one fluid motion he jerked upright, flinging Kallen to the floor in a heap. He had just enough time to launch a sheet onto her before he dove off of the bed, arms outstretched toward Zero's mask. Arthur, true to form, yanked the headpiece away at the last second, leaving Suzaku sprawled on the floor at Kallen's feet, empty handed.

Gino stepped into the room just as the girl, disoriented and half naked, sat up in confusion and anger. All three of them froze, eyes widened in varying degrees of shock and embarrassment. Kallen quickly pulled her knees beneath her, yanking the bedsheet up to cover her legs. Suzaku simply lay sprawled on the carpet, mouth agape and gaze fixated on the blonde intruder. Gino, to his credit, managed to not shout loud enough to bring Zero's vanguard storming into the room.

"What the _hell_?"

* * *

><p>The three teens and one feline sat in a loose circle on the floor, Kallen's lower body still wrapped in a sheet. Gino absently rubbed the bridge of his nose, as Kallen and Suzaku glanced at each other nervously. Arthur, very much the image of calm, casually licked one of his paws.<p>

"When you said you knew who Zero was," Gino began. "I figured it was one of the Black Knights, and old comrade."

"Well, not exactly a comrade." Kallen replied, biting her lip.

"So I've noticed."

Another awkward silence filled the room, as the three of them looked at anything they could to avoid eye contact with each other. For several moments no one spoke, until finally Suzaku broke the stalemate.

"Gino, you have to understand…"

"I think I do." He said, sighing loudly. "Honestly, I should have guessed it from the beginning, especially when I realized Kallen was getting all fuzzy for you."

"What?" Kallen and Suzaku exclaimed as one, glancing at each other.

"Please," The blonde said with a sharp laugh. "There was so much tension between you two I'm surprised either of you could ever focus on a battle."

"No, there really wasn't." Kallen replied defensively, crossing both arms over her chest.

"Then just how did you end up in his bed, Kallen?"

"I…"

"Exactly. Anyone could have seen this coming a mile away, which is why I can't believe I didn't put it together."

"You're not upset?" Kallen asked quietly.

"About what?" The blonde replied, laughing. "You always did have a soft spot for idiots, there's not much I can do about that."

"Hey!" Suzaku shot back angrily.

"He's right, you are kind of an idiot."

"So, Suzaku, you're Zero huh?" Gino asked, before the other boy could start moping.

"I am."

"Man, that must _suck_. I get what you meant now Kallen, about him not being able to have friends. If people found out who Zero _really_ was…"

"That's exactly why no one can ever know." Suzaku said simply, shooting a look at Kallen.

"Your secret is safe with me." Gino said lightly, grinning. "I won't tell a soul."

"Thank you." Suzaku sighed, rubbing his eyes worriedly.

"Well I only came here because Kallen was missing, but since I found her, I suppose I should be on my way." The blonde knight said with a shrug, bounding to his feet. "When you two are done doing what it is you kids do, come get some breakfast."

Gino laughed at the flush that dominated both of their faces, and made his way to the door, gently nudging Arthur to the side. He paused with his hand on the doorknob, glancing back at the two of them.

"Though it would be best if you put some pants on, Kallen."

He managed to duck into the hallway before the girl could find something to throw at him.

* * *

><p>The next two days were something of a blur. Kallen and Suzaku spent much of their time in Zero's room, though it was punctuated by several trips down to the sand with Gino. Suzaku could never linger long by the ocean, however, before retreating back to the house in full disguise. There were matters to cover before the treaty signing, and his attention as Zero had to be fixated on peace.<p>

At night the three of them snuck out to the sea once again, where Suzaku didn't require his mask, and remained there until the moon had set. Gino always turned in first, leaving Suzaku and Kallen to enjoy the ocean breeze and quiet surf.

Kallen chose not to spend another night in Suzaku's bed, as honestly she hadn't intended to even be there the first night. There was still a part of her that was unsure of how to proceed when it came to him. Almost every barrier between them had been broken the night she had forced herself through his walls, but that didn't make her any more comfortable in his presence. If anything, the two of them were more awkward around each other, except for those rare instances where hormones beat out trepidation.

When the day came for Suzaku to travel alone into the city for the treaty signing, Kallen wondered where the time had gone. It had seemed like the blink of an eye since she had vaulted into his room and confronted him, and so much had changed since then. The question was: Would that change turn out for the best, or only make their lives more difficult.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Yes, it's short, but you'll have to live with it. It's around 90 degrees in my office at work, and I simply cannot focus on writing anymore with the AC out. Just had to include a little more Arthur, a little more fluff and sexual tension, and use Gino for something other than an extra. I didn't want him to just sit around while Suzaku and Kallen... felt each other out.

On that note, I was a little concerned I portrayed him wrong in this chapter. After reading it again, however, I feel better about it. I can see Gino acting somewhat like he was here in my head, which is my usual judge if it's in character or not. If I can hear the character saying their lines without it sounding wrong, that feels like it's IC well to me.

Thanks for reading, and the reviews. Reviews get me thinking about stuff I wouldn't always consider.


	10. Knights of Zero

**Chapter Ten: Knights of Zero**

* * *

><p><em>"With the signing of this, the fourteenth amendment to the statute of independence, we bring about a new era of self-government and faith in our fellow man."<em>

In a pair of shorts, with both legs curled beneath her, Kallen watched in interest as Zero's voice drifted from the television set in front of her. Suzaku had managed to nearly perfect the persona thfat he emulated, becoming the mask, so to speak. Had she not known his true identity, Kallen could have almost believed it really was Lelouch beneath that familiar guise. As Suzaku continued with his speech, Kallen's gaze shifted, locking on Gino as he slipped into the room. The blonde Brittanian handed her a bottle of water before settling down a short distance away, lounging lazily and staring at the screen.

_"This is the first step toward a truly free Earth,"_ Zero continued. _"With the aid of Empress Nunnally vi Britannia, this amendment will remove the remaining Britannian peacekeeping forces from what was once known as Area Eleven, the United States of Japan."_

"Suzaku made this out to be less important than it is." Gino said, checking to be sure he wasn't overheard.

"What do you mean? Hasn't this already been done in several countries already?"

"Yes, but none of those situations were as volatile as that of Japan. Taking the military presence away completely is a bold move, and it puts complete control in the hands of the Elevens-" The knight caught himself, shooting Kallen an apologetic look. "Sorry, Japanese."

Kallen hadn't thought of that, but it wasn't hard to follow to Gino's conclusion. For as long as she could remember, Kallen had seen Brittanian troops in Japan, and it gave her a great deal of pride to know that Suzaku had finally given the country it's full freedom. While Japan had been emancipated from the Britannian Empire some time before, the soldiers had remained to aid in bringing in a new government.

"I wish he'd have let me come." Kallen noted quietly, her gaze falling to the floor. "I'd feel more comfortable if I was there to back him up."

"I wouldn't worry about it," Gino said, shrugging. "The Glaston Knights were assigned as vanguard to Nunnally, and as long as Zero is with her, he remains under their protection as well."

"Aren't those the older models?" Kallen asked, indicating the two violet Knightmare Frames that flanked the stage that Suzaku and Nunnally spoke from.

"The Gloucesters? Yeah, in an attempt to diffuse extra tension, most of the 7th Generation and above frames were garrisoned, falling back mostly on Sutherlands and a few Cavalry units of Vincent models."

Gino had just finished speaking when an audible whine drifted from the television set, setting Kallen's teeth on edge. It took her a moment to place the familiar sound, as Zero instinctively stepped in front of the Empress of Britannia. A moment later the scene descended into chaos, as an explosion rocked the room, the camera that was filming the signing thrown to the floor. Dust settled into the frame, as Kallen and Gino leapt to their feet, shock freezing them in place.

* * *

><p>A second blast shook the building as Suzaku moved, deftly pulling Nunnally from her seat. Debris crashed upon the stage around them, crushing the podium at which he had been speaking not a moment before. Shedding the cumbersome fabric that was Zero's cape, Suzaku dove free of the falling sections of ceiling, the young Empress clinging tightly to him. Three long strides took him down the stairs of the stage, as gunfire erupted throughout the room.<p>

Darting ahead, the Glaston Knights took up a defensive position to Suzaku's rear, blocking the approach of the Knightmares that had burst into the Joyous Garde government building. Suzaku paid little attention to the battle that had began behind him, the familiar sounds of armored combat filling the room, caring only for Nunnally's safety.

Avoiding the surge of men and women as they struggled to get out of the crossfire, he made his way quickly toward the Gloucesters that came to the defense of the Empress, reaching a pair of pilots that had yet to enter their machines just as the sharp whine of heavy caliber rounds flew past him. The first of the two men who had come to his aid was thrown to the floor, a spray of blood bursting out of his back. Stumbling, Suzaku handed Nunnally to the second Britannian pilot.

"Get her to Claudio." He ordered quickly, before kneeling by the fallen Glaston.

The man gazed up at him, a mask of pain distorting his features. There was little solace Suzaku could offer him, as the gaping hole in the man's left side left him almost no chance of recovery. Apparently the pilot had come to the same conclusion, for he used what little strength he had to tear the Knightmare key from the chain on his neck, thrusting it into Suzaku's hand.

"The code is V43S 81RR. Go." He rasped, before his gaze slowly drifted to stare at the ceiling.

Clutching the activation key in his hand, Suzaku dashed away, a haze of smoke and dust obscuring his vision beneath Zero's mask. He was buffeted to the side as one of the Gloucesters nearby was destroyed, the blast taking out half a dozen civilians as they scrambled for cover. Managing to stay upright, he trudged on, clambering up the back of the dead Glaston's Knightmare. As he hopped into the cockpit, Suzaku cursed quietly. The Lancelot remained outside of the government building, knelt by Nunnally's transport, and effectively out of his reach. The fifth generation frame would have to do, in its absence.

Firing up the Gloucester, Suzaku removed his helmet, his face illuminated by the Heads Up Display. The Knightmare rose smoothly to its feet, dust and small chunks of stone falling from its frame. Two more Glaston Knights charged ahead, into the cloud of dust that filled the room, to engage the enemy units that had tore through their comrades.

A small sense of dread gripped Suzaku, twisting his gut, as he recognized the Knightmares that had attacked the assembly; A pair of Vincent Wards, the seventh generation frames produced off the Lancelot's design, assaulted the inferior Gloucesters. Suzaku distantly wondered what terrorist group would have access to Britannian military technology, but tucked his curiosity away.

With a squeal, the landspinners of Suzaku's Gloucester surged the machine ahead, as the young knight brought the frame's lance to bear. Reaching the two Glaston Knights, who stood defensively before the superior Knightmares before them, Suzaku opened a communication channel.

"Get the Empress to safety." He said quickly to the knights, stepping in front of them. "I'll keep them busy here."

"As you wish." The knights said after a slight hesitation, falling back to the rear of the trashed room.

Suzaku took a deep breath, sizing up the Vincents in front of him. He knew the capabilities of the frames better than anyone, as they were simply mass produced versions of his own Lancelot. The man had stood against them plenty of times during the final months of the war; Of course at that time he'd been the one with the edge in technology.

The Knightmares charged him, and Suzaku rose to meet the challenge. Both Vincents had brought their MVS Lances to bear, which could easily penetrate the armor of the less powerful Gloucester, though the men within them were nowhere near Suzaku's match. Urging the comparatively clumsy frame forward, Suzaku ducked blow the blade of the first frame, forcing the Gloucester into a tight spin to avoid the second.

He came up quickly, steel grinding against stone as his frame stuttered to a halt. Jamming his lance upward as one of the Vincents turned, he snared the enemy unit's lance with the prongs of his own, harshly twisting the weapon from the other frame's grasp. He only had a moment to leap clear, as a slash harken mounted on the enemy's hip flew toward him. Deflecting the projectile away with one arm, Suzaku quickly fired his own harken, using it to block the Vincent's second hip mounted projectile.

The three Knightmares descended into a hectic melee, struggling for the upper hand in the enclosed space of the government building. Suzaku pushed the Gloucester to its limit in an attempt to keep the more advanced frames off of him. For almost a minute he managed to keep both Vincents from penetrating his guard, using the heavy lance as a surgeon might use a scalpel.

Despite his skill and speed, however, even Suzaku couldn't stand up to two Knightmares with such a technological advantage. As he parried a blow with the tonfa attached to the Gloucester's left arm, using his lance to force the second Vincent on its guard, he reached the plateau of what the fifth generation frame could sustain. One of the MVS Lances drove into the left shoulder of his Knightmare, effortlessly slicing the frame's entire arm off.

"Dammit!" Suzaku growled, as he was knocked to the ground, sliding across the shattered floor.

Attempting to right the damaged machine, using his lance for support, he could only watch as one of the Vincents bore down on him. Taking a deep breath, knowing that ejecting the cockpit in such a confined space wasn't going to be smooth, Suzaku raised the Gloucester's lance in defiance. As the Vincent surged toward him, weapon raised, a pair of harkens appeared from nowhere, impacting harshly with its shoulder.

"A perfect shot!"

Gino's declaration was followed immediately by his arrival, as the Tristan burst into the demolished room, sliding to a halt in front of Suzaku's downed Knightmare. On his heels was Suzaku's own Lancelot Naito, the retrofitted Guren arm gleaming against the sunlight that filtered through the missing section of the government building. As the two Knightmares took up a defensive position, the damaged Vincent rose to its feet.

"Attention Enemy Knightmares. This is Gino Weinberg, Knight of Three." Gino announced, voice carrying to the pair of Vincents. "I am joined by Kallen Kozuki, the famous Ace of the Black Knights. Cease all aggressive actions and surrender, as this unprovoked attack is an act of treason, and you will be offered no quarter. You have ten seconds to comply."

"What are you doing?"Suzaku asked them, the faces of Kallen and Gino appearing in his display.

"Saving the day." Gino replied with a smirk. "I thought that much was obvious."

"You shouldn't have come. You just made yourselves a target for every enemy Zero has!" Suzaku shot back, slowly bringing his Gloucester to its feet.

"Do you really think we care about that?" Kallen asked, glaring at him.

"Heads up, I don't think they feel like surrendering." Gino said, drawing their attention back to the enemy Knightmares.

As they watched, two more Vincent Wards rushed into the gaping hole where a wall had once been, coming to their ally's aid. The four frames spread out some, believing their advantage in numbers offered them a chance at victory. Hefting the lance on the Gloucester, Suzaku moved to stand between the Tristan and Lancelot.

"Wanna do this the hard way? Fine!" Kallen said, rushing toward the enemy frames.

Gino and Suzaku followed in her wake, as the girl dove right for the Vincents. Despite himself, Suzaku found a small smile touch his lips. He had no doubt that Kallen could handle the enemy Knightmares alone without much trouble, and he and Gino were simply speeding up the process. Kallen engaged two of the frames without hesitation, as Gino and Suzaku picked up the other pair.

Missing an arm, the Gloucester could do little more than keep one of the enemy Knightmares occupied as Tristan dispatched its mate. Pushing the machine hard, Suzaku kept his guard up as the Vincent pressed the attack, trying to destroy him quickly to turn his attention to Gino and Kallen. Suzaku, even in a damaged fifth generation frame, made such aspirations impossible.

The pilots in the Vincents were skilled in their own right, but against two former Knights of the Round and the Black Knight Ace, they were completely outclassed. Gino made short work of the Vincent that he had damaged before, cutting it down in only a moment, before he set his sights on the one Suzaku kept at bay. As soon as Gino had engaged the frame, Suzaku shifted his Gloucester, darting toward Kallen's side.

The girl was handling the pair of Knightmares quite efficiently, forcing both of them to struggle to keep from being destroyed. Suzaku used their focus on her to his advantage, slipping in quickly. Thrusting his lance upward, a groan of metal announcing the strain on his damaged machine, Suzaku impaled one of the Vincents from the side, nearly tearing the cockpit from the frame.

Kallen quickly dispatched the other Knightmare, the Radiant Wave Surger decimating both frame and pilot, before finishing the Vincent that Suzaku had damaged. As she surveyed the thoroughly demolished room, Suzaku felt the legs of the Gloucester buckle, unable to keep the weight of the machine upright any longer. Finessing the Knightmare down, he took a calming breath, slipping Zero's helmet back on and opening the cockpit. It wasn't likely there were any cameras still filming, but he couldn't take any chances.

Leaping to the floor, Suzaku was quickly joined by Kallen, who had dismounted as well. The girl rushed toward him, coming to a halt at his side, and quickly looked him over.

"Are you injured?" She asked, genuine concern tempering her tone.

"No," Suzaku said quietly. "I'm fine. We need to check on the Empress."

"I'll stay." Gino called from the Tristan. "In case any more of their friends show up."

Nodding up at the Knightmare, Suzaku made his way through the rubble with Kallen at his side. Considering all of the fighting, he was relieved to see that most of the civilians had made it out of the government building in time, though a fair number of them had been caught in the initial attack. Lips curling in anger, he strode toward a handful of injured Glaston Knights.

"Zero!" One of them exclaimed as he approached, one eye covered with a makeshift bandage. "She's gone!"

"What?" Suzaku asked, unable to process what the man had said.

"It was all a distraction, a way to get the Empress back to her transport. Whoever instigated this attack knew what we would do, and they were ready for it. The Empress has been taken."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Well look at that, I actually updated. I'm going to slowly plug away at this while working on my own current project, so the updates _might_ not come quickly, but I do fully intend to complete it. I had this little plot idea installed when I began the story, and was undecided whether or not I'd follow it, as this is more or less just a mild shipping fic. Since there seems to be more interest in this than I expected, I decided to go ahead with it, as it extends the story by a few chapters and gives Kallen and Suzaku a little more time to flesh out their relationship. Plus, I've grown fond of Gino's inclusion in the story, which is good.

So, now we have what could only be called the Knights of Zero, and a small conflict for Suzaku and Co. to resolve. I don't plan on some elaborate scheme or anything like that, it's simply a 'kidnapped Princess' scenario. It's somewhat cliched, but seeing as I'm hardly devoting a lot of brainpower to this over my own important work, and that this is mostly a fluffy piece, I'm strangely okay with that. Thanks for the support though, I didn't expect that Kallen and Suzaku would actually be somewhat popular among people.


End file.
